


What I've Been Living For

by MerryLilHobbit



Series: Cabin on the Lake (Walter/Daniels stories) [3]
Category: Alien Series, Alien: Covenant
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Androids, Angst, Children, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outdoor Sex, Parenthood, Robot/Human Relationships, Romance, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Sex is in good taste I promise, Smut, Walter and Daniels built their cabin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-18 00:44:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11863089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryLilHobbit/pseuds/MerryLilHobbit
Summary: “I have the parts,” He reminded her carefully, “But I can’t give you that. I cannot procreate.”(Or: Walter and Daniels' journey to parenthood)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing, writing a full-length multi-chaptered fic about Daniels and Walter starting a family but I'm doing it *shrugs* 
> 
> I hope that you'll all enjoy this fic about Walter and Daniels' journey into parenthood; it's got a long road to go down, and I'm excited for if anyone wants to join me on it!

"...Hey, that's not fair! Walter, Billy tripped me up before I could get to the post!"

"No, I didn't! You fell!"

Walter's face was patient and calm as he looked between the two boys, a whistle hanging from his neck and a clipboard in arm. "Billy, I saw that you stuck your foot out when Connor ran to second base. That is cheating and a clear violation of the rules - I'm afraid you'll have to sit out the rest of the round. Connor, you may proceed to second base."

Billy grumbled but didn't argue - if Walter said something, then it was final. Connor folded his arms smugly as he stepped behind the small post that marked a base, clearly pleased. With this altercation out of the way, the synthetic reached for the whistle before giving it a loud short blow to indicate for play to continue; immediately the children were laughing and cheering again as a girl (Elena) stepped up to bat.

Daniels had been watching a short distance away as she fiddled with her datapad, a small smile starting to grow on her face - watching Walter referee a game of rounders was far more interesting than reading the reports of the council of colonists she'd been given, especially as he was so _good_ with them. It was a well-known fact that all of the children adored Walter because he was fair and patient; he was also extremely kind, and he never showed favouritism towards any of them - each and every child were viewed equally to him, and yet he managed to somehow make them feel special and appreciated.

"Figures - the one day you're down here and you're not even paying attention."

"Shut up," She laughed, turning her attention back to Tennessee somewhat reluctantly. "I am paying attention, but it's a good game."

"It's children's rounders," He retorted, though he was just as amused. "We both know that's bullshit - there ain't nothing good about it. Admit it: you're checking out Walter's ass."

Daniels rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. "How's stuff been, anyway?"

"Same as always - Mary Jane's been driving me up the fucking wall, though, with all her nagging about safety precautions."

"Safety precautions?"

Tennessee snorted, reaching for his coffee. "Yeah, saying the new playground ain't safe or some shit. She said something about splinters and it not being durable...I dunno, I stopped listening halfway through."

"Splinters? Everything's made out of steel and hard plastic," She muttered, shaking her head to herself. "And Walter examined it thoroughly when we were done - it passed all tests with no problems."

"Yeah, I know. Think she just wants something to complain about - she's been like that since she got pregnant."

" _Again_?!" She had, admittedly, lost count of how many times this particular couple had procreated - she'd stopped counting after the fourth one. "Jesus. Anything else I gotta worry about?"

Her friend looked somewhat hesitant all of a sudden, she noticed - any reason for Tennessee to appear that way didn't exactly bode well. "Yeah, we got a few official complaints at the last council meeting."

"The one they _forgot_ to invite me to," She said dryly; they both knew no one had 'forgotten' anything, rather that they preferred to meet without her nowadays. "Great. What complaints?"

"The usual again," He sighed. "The wheat crop isn't growing as tall as last year, they want more houses...someone made a complaint about Walter."

Daniels felt herself bristle at this. " _What_ complaint about Walter? He's done absolutely nothing-"

"I know, I know," He agreed, somewhat apologetic now. "Nothing too serious, Danny, just some asshole getting 'uncomfortable' that he's still around. The council chose not to pursue it."

She huffed, turning back to her datapad in annoyance. "Great, just fucking great."

"Hey, I said the council ain't gonna pursue it - even they know it's bullshit," Tennessee frowned before reaching out to touch her arm. "Danny, come on; they're not gonna decommission him now - I mean, look how good he is with all the rugrats running around. The parents love him."

This was true; Walter had proven himself to be a highly valuable asset to the colony on multiple occasions, from helping to tend to developing crops to assisting in the numerous births of the children on Origae-6. He was polite and well-mannered to every single individual he interacted with, listening to whatever queries they might have had and doing his best to reassure or answer them. No one in their right mind would want him decommissioned now.

But that wasn't the point: they saw him as a machine, as a tool, albeit one that could walk and seemed friendly, and they treated him as one as well. Too often had she seen people wave off any opinions he gave, people who didn't thank him for helping with crops or watching the children while their parents worked - and it drove her _mad_.

And that wasn't even starting on how the colonists viewed her relationship with Walter.

"One asshole won't change everyone's mind," She heard Tennessee saying, clearly trying to reassure her in some way. "And I ain't gonna stand for that shit either - anyone tries anything, I won't hesitate to smack them down."

Daniels managed a weak smile at this; she didn't doubt this for a second, for he was just as loyal to Walter as she was. "I know you will, Tee. Thanks."

He nodded and grinned at her before turning back to the report in front of him, getting back to work; she glanced down at her datapad before her eyes wandered back over to the field where the children were playing still. The game was about to finish, and a group of children wearing red tags were cheering loudly for the batter as the other team - this one wearing blue tags - spread across the field; Walter stood nearby, a clipboard with scores under arm and his whistle against his chest as he waited for everyone to settle down. Once the children had fallen silent, he announced that this would be the last batter before reaching for his whistle and giving it a short sharp blow. As the teams started to scream again for their team mates and the last batter took a turn, she found herself admiring how handsome Walter looked in the afternoon sunlight, at how well-built his form was.

Okay, so perhaps Tennessee had a point - Walter did, in fact, have a rather fine ass and, yes, she was _definitely_ checking it out. She was fully within her rights to, after all.

The final batter managed to go all around the field without being stumped by one of the fielders on the other team, and his team-mates cheered in celebration; Walter merely made a note on his clipboard before totalling up the scores of each team. The children came together in a group to sit before him, clearly eagerly waiting for him to announce the winner - and to possibly give out prizes, if they were lucky.

"You all did well today," He said, and he made sure to smile at all of them before continuing. "Sarah's team wins with seven points - Mason's team have five and a half, so you were not far behind."

He had been able to proffer enough small wrapped chocolates for all of the children today, and he patiently handed them out one-by-one to each of the children; they beamed and thanked him happily before setting off to go back to their homes. Daniels had once mused that prizes were usually only given to the winning teams in sports games, but Walter had explained that it didn't seem fair to give chocolates to one group just for being better at a certain sport - they all deserved something for trying, to build their confidence to try other things in the future.

"Thank you, Walter!" A girl - Sarah - called cheerily, waving to him as she walked away. "Bye!"

"See you tomorrow, Walter!" A boy - Bertie - chimed, already digging into his wrapped chocolate.

Walter was smiling as he gave them both a small wave in return; a few of the children were still on the field with him, clearly eager to ask him some questions. He knew so much more than their parents, they had all decided, because he was the synthetic on the planet and that meant he knew _everything_. He was always patient with them when they asked questions, even when he was asked the same things dozens of times or when he had to explain his answers over and over again - he had a way with the children that no one else seemed to have, and it was no surprise that they adored him so much.

Grinning to herself, Daniels turned back to her datapad to continue working. "Alright, Tee: what else is on the agenda?"

* * *

 

Walter was back at the cabin before her that evening, sitting out on the porch that overlooked the lake and looking out over the landscape; Daniels grinned at the sight of him as she drew closer, her demeanour improving immediately. Her synthetic was so relaxed, she noted, simply admiring the view like one might view a beautiful piece of art – most humans passed off sunsets and nature as dull or uninteresting everyday things, but he appreciated these things as special and worth the time to process.

“Hey,” She greeted as she went up the steps and made to sit with him.

He raised his head and smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Danny. How was your day with Tennessee?”

“Oh yeah, _great_ ,” She deadpanned good-naturedly as she flopped down beside him. “Reading colony complaints all day, having to finalise building plans – doesn’t get much better than that. Tee’s doing good though, same as always: he’s set up a barbeque tonight, so most the colony’s going to that.”

“And you don’t wish to go?” Walter questioned curiously.

She shrugged. “Not really – too many people, not enough booze to go around… Not my kind of thing. Besides,” She added, leaning in closer to take his hand. “Why waste my time over there when I’ve got you and this cabin to keep me company?”

He seemed rather puzzled by this, even as he allowed her to squeeze his fingers in her own. “If you wanted to spend some time with the colonists, I would be content to remain here by myself. I am aware that you will have a much easier time socialising with the rest of the colony if I do not attend-”

“Walter,” Daniels interrupted, just a tad sharper than she had been intending. “I meant what I said: I’d rather spend the evening here with you than over there pretending I care what they all think about us. You know that.”

A small frown creased her lover’s features. “You shouldn’t have to miss out on colony gatherings because of me.”

“I’m not missing out because of you,” She disagreed quite calmly. “Honestly, I’m tired as hell anyway – I need a shower and a bite to eat, but then I’m heading to bed. There’ll be other barbecues or events or whatever, and _we_ ’ll go to those.”

“I see. Well, if that is what you wish,” He said placidly. “I will attend these events to please you, but I shall be sure that I remain a fair distance away should you wish to socialise.”

“That’s not what I meant,” She told him, furrowing her brows; after a moment’s hesitation, she put her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her. “Listen to me, Walter: you know that I don’t care what anyone else thinks, for one thing, and if anyone doesn’t like _us_ then they can honestly go fuck themselves. Besides,” She added, giving him a small smile. “A lot of the colonists like you: you’re polite, friendly, intelligent… They’d probably really enjoy you coming to one of the gatherings.”

Walter seemed to consider this briefly, going over the data he had of his interactions with each and every one of the colonists. “You do appear to be correct. Alright, Danny, we will go to a colony event together.”

He would keep his promise – if he said something, it was the truth, for he was incapable of lying. Satisfied by this, Daniels leaned into him once more, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out at the lake beyond their cabin; it really was a beautiful evening, the sunset casting warm amber rays across the trees and onto the water. A few strange serpentine-creatures native to the planet could be seen bobbing and twisting in and out of the water in the far distance, and a peaceful calm settled over her at the sight.

“Are you hungry?” She heard Walter ask. “It has been a long day, and if you like then I would be happy to prepare something for you to eat.”

Truthfully, she _was_ starving, seeing as she hadn’t eaten since a short lunch-break with Tennessee – but it was so nice outside, so calm, that she couldn’t bring herself to want to go into the cabin just yet. She could eat and shower after the sun had set completely, she decided, but for now she was more than content to sit with Walter.

“Maybe in a minute,” She told him, smiling to herself. “I’m enjoying the view.”

* * *

 

“Walter? Will you please play with me?”

Walter looked up from where he had been fixing a piece of terraforming equipment; he immediately identified the little girl as being the one called Louisa, the younger child of a doctor and a pharmacist, aged five-years-and-4-months. She was holding two handmade dolls in her arms, clothed in tiny patterned dresses that bore similarity to the one she currently wore herself.

“Of course,” He told her, straightening up. “I will be finished with this task in a few minutes, and then I’ll play. Where is your brother?”

Louisa pulled a face. “He doesn’t wanna play with me – he’s playing with the other boys in his class, and they don’t want me hanging around. You’re better than him anyway – you have manners.”

It took a mere two minutes and fourteen seconds for him to finish adjusting the cables inside the machine, and a further thirty seconds to close up the hatch and screw it on tightly. When he turned to the little girl, she was rocking on her heels impatiently and staring at him, clearly waiting.

“What would you like to play, Louisa?” Walter asked.

Her face lit up, and she took his hand eagerly to pull him towards a small cluster of houses. “I wanna have a tea-party – I have all my stuff in my mama’s basket, I’ll get it! Would you like to have tea, Walter?”

“I do not usually consume tea,” He mused seriously, allowing her to lead him. “But I will do so for your tea party.”

Children liked to pretend such things, he had learnt over the past several years; while he himself could not pretend with such an imagination (he did not have such a capability in his programming), he knew the motions of what he was supposed to do during imaginary tea-parties, and to nod in agreement with a smile to make the children happy. It was not his first tea-party on Origae-6, and it would certainly not be his last.

This was how he found himself sitting on a picnic blanket that afternoon, holding a tiny plastic tea-cup as Louisa fussed with getting her dolls to sit upright properly. It took her a few minutes to settle them properly before she finally sat back on her knees and beamed at Walter – she was missing two teeth, he noted, one near the front and one off to the right-hand-side of her mouth.

“Would you like me to pour you some tea, Walter?” She asked happily, lifting up a plastic teapot that matched the cup he held. It would be empty, of course, but children liked to pretend that they weren’t for some reason.

Nevertheless, he nodded and smiled politely. “Of course.”

Louisa pretended to pour some tea for him, then pretended again into the mugs of each of her own dolls, and finally into the one in front of her; once finished, she put down the teapot and lifted her mug. “And now we drink!”

Walter went to imitate taking a sip (a well-rehearsed action after so many years), only for her to cry out in protest; confused, he lowered his mug and tilted his head at her. “What is the matter?”

“You haven’t raised your pinkie!” She stated, and she wiggled her little finger to show him. “You have to raise it, it’s polite!”

“Ah. I see. I apologise,” He said, and he slowly raised the little finger of the hand holding his cup.

Louisa looked extremely satisfied by this, he noted, and beamed again. “Okay, _now_ we can drink! Just watch me if you’re not sure.” With that, she pretended to drink from her teacup daintily; keeping his eyes open so he could watch her, he imitated her perfectly and tilted the cup as though he were taking a sip.

The little girl suddenly put her cup down, licking her lips and making satisfied noises; he quickly put his own cup down too, watching her intently. “I think that’s my _best_ tea yet. What do you think, Walter?”

His mind searched for responses that usually placated children during tea-parties, and he was sure to smile as he answered. “I think so too.”

Louisa was clearly pleased by this, and he made sure to file her response away for future reference. “Yay! Would you like some more? There’s lots to go around!”

“I would like some more,” He agreed, his answer almost immediate – if it satisfied her, then he would continue to do it. “Thank you.”

* * *

 

“Oh, Jesus.”

Daniels looked up at Tennessee’s laughter, intrigued by what had made him so amused. “What? What’s got you so happy?”

He was still chortling as he gestured for her to look across the field; on a rather colourful picnic blanket was Walter, sitting with one of the colony’s children and holding a bright pink plastic teacup. She couldn’t help but snort with laughter too at the sight, unable to help herself – there was something rather amusing in seeing Walter so perfectly composed and serious whilst pretending to drink tea with a little girl.

“Poor sucker got roped into another tea-party,” Tennessee chuckled. “At least he ain’t been forced to dress up for this one.”

“Ah, come on,” Daniels said, a twinkle in her eye. “He looked good with the tiara on – and that pink tutu was manly as hell.”

Her friend shook his head, still grinning. “Well, you ain’t catching me in one, that’s for sure… The stuff he does for those kids - it’s no wonder they all love him so much. I certainly wouldn’t do any of that shit.”

She saw Walter raise his cup, pinkie raised and a polite but kind smile on his face, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart warm; it was obvious that he loved all of the children of Origae-6 dearly, even if he didn’t call it ‘love’, and it was a reciprocated affection because they all adored him unconditionally too. It was easy to understand why, seeing the way he interacted them on a daily basis – he was certainly more capable than she was, for one.

Without warning, her mind wandered back to Jacob – just for a second, one fleeting second – and her smile slipped; he had planned their entire lives on Origae-6 out, from the cabin to having children someday. One of his arguments for joining the mission had been that it would have been impossible to start a family on Earth, that any children they had would have a far better life on a different planet, one that wasn’t dying.

He would have been a great father.

“Danny? You okay, darlin’?”

“I’m fine,” She muttered, trying to shake the thought from her mind. “Just got lost in thought, that’s all.”

Tennessee didn’t look convinced by her feeble excuse in the slightest. “C’mon, no need to bullshit ‘round me. If you wanna talk, then talk.”

Daniels huffed – but her shoulders sank in defeat; he was one of her best friends, after all, and there was no use in lying to him. “I was just thinking about Jake, that’s all.”

“Oh. Right.” Hesitantly, his hand covered hers, and he looked slightly at a loss for what to say. “What about him?”

“It’s stupid,” She brushed off, shaking her head and pulling her hand free. “Really. I just…I miss him still, you know? Stupid little things sometimes just make me think… It doesn’t matter,” She muttered, hurriedly reaching for her datapad again. “Let’s just get back to work.”

Tennessee frowned but said nothing, reaching for his own datapad to continue working; meanwhile, Daniels cast a small glance back across the field to see what Walter was doing now. He was smiling politely at the little girl – Lisa? Laura? She couldn’t remember – and listening as she chatted away mindlessly to him about something or other; he would no doubt play with her all afternoon if she wished, for that was the kind of person Walter was.

A part of her warmed at the sight, at seeing Walter interacting and doting on the small child – but the other part of her couldn’t help but think of what _could_ have been, had Jacob still been alive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so far for the kind comments! I’ve been attempting to write more but real life caught up with me and…well, it took a while. I’m sure you all understand that! :D  
> I’m afraid this chapter has smut – and some others will too, I suspect. Not every chapter will be smut, of course, but I just felt I’d warn you guys! The smut won’t be regular, just a few instances here and there, I promise :)  
> Also there’s way too much fluff and “Daniels dwelling on her feelings for Walter” but oops ;)  
> Anywho, let’s continue on with the fic!

Sundays were the usual day off within the colony; for some of the colonists, there were religious connotations to having a Sunday free of work, whereas for the non-religious inhabitants it was simply nice to have a designated day to relax on each week. Usually the day was spent having fun outdoors, weather permitting, or simply taking the time to do nothing at all.

Living in a cabin a short distance away from the colony provided Walter and Daniels with more privacy than anyone else; it wasn’t too far away to be completely isolated, but secluded enough to provide some peace and quiet when needed, no matter what the day of the week. It was a relief to be able to escape to this cabin – _their_ cabin, _their_ home – away from it all sometimes, and it was something that they enjoyed together.

When Daniels woke up that morning, groggily attempting to open her eyes, Walter was pressing small kisses to her shoulder – he had started to do this regularly when she had mentioned that she liked it – and she couldn’t help but smile sleepily to herself. “Morning to you too.”

“Good morning, Danny,” Walter greeted, sitting back. “Did you sleep well?”

She yawned, stretching out beneath the duvet and opening her eyes to look at him. “Yeah, like a baby.” There was no point in asking how he slept for he didn’t sleep – though, as he had told her on numerous occasions, he could imitate it whilst charging his batteries or performing updates on his main circuits. As she sat up, she could smell something _delicious_ in the air. “What’re you making for breakfast?”

“I have prepared your coffee, the way that you like it,” He informed her. “And bacon and eggs with toast. Is that acceptable?”

A tired chuckle escaped her mouth. “Yeah, that sounds great, Walter. Thanks.”

Walter excelled well in the kitchen and garden, or so he had continued to tell her every day since they’d first met; he hadn’t been wrong either, given that the food he made was delicious and their greenhouse of plants flourished well under his gentle touch. Not a single plant had died thanks to Walter, and she often thought that his plants were the closest things to actual children he had.

For some reason, the thought suddenly made her heart ache in her chest now. There was no need to get upset over it, she scolded herself, forcing herself to think of something else as she sat herself down in the kitchen; it wasn’t as if she hadn’t known, going into their relationship, that synthetics were quite incapable of procreating, but for some reason the thought was less than pleasant.

 _Stop_ , Daniels told herself firmly, tucking into her breakfast quickly in the hopes that it would prevent her from dwelling on this thought: _You’re being stupid. Walter’s not upset about it, for one…stop it._

Meanwhile, Walter had taken a seat opposite her and started to read a book; in the early days of their cohabitation, he had merely watched her eat – it was only when she had gently informed him that it was slightly disconcerting to be watched so keenly while eating that he had started reading or busying himself with other things while she ate. She had once suggested that he eat with her, but he reminded her that he didn’t need to eat – he _could_ , if required, so as to seem more like his human companions, but he didn’t receive nourishment of any kind from it.

“You know,” Daniels started through a mouthful of bacon, grinning at him from across the table. “Sunday is supposed to be a break from work – that includes a break from reading terraforming instruction guides.”

“I’m not doing it for work,” He said calmly, not even raising his eyes. “I find it interesting.”

 _Of course he does_ , She thought fondly; he liked to learn whatever he could, liked increasing the data he had stored away. It didn’t exactly sound appealing to her, but each to their own; it was something he seemed to like doing, and it was honestly endearing to see him avidly read instruction manuals.

It was these things that made him the Walter she loved – the small little quirks that made him _Walter_ – and she honestly wouldn’t have changed them for anything in the universe.

* * *

 

They spent most of the day out on the porch of the cabin, lazily watching the hours pass together. After a brief lunch, Walter brought out a book to read and, after a few minutes of silence, Daniels asked if he would read it to her; he had the most soothing voice, one that never failed to keep her calm, and she was soon content to lie on the porch bench with her head against his chest and the open book in front of them both as he read.

The plot of the book wasn’t really important – it was more the fact they were pressed so close together, really, enjoying each other’s company.

It was inevitable that their afternoon was interrupted a few times; usually it was the children from the colony, their parents close behind, appearing to ask Walter questions about random things, things that he knew because _you’re the synthetic and you know everything_. He politely answered all queries and requests, smiling at the children as they beamed in response and waved him goodbye once more. The sight made Daniels grin, though there was a small ache in her chest that she couldn’t quite place for some reason; she forgot about it quickly enough, however, when her synthetic would return to sit behind her once more with the book in his hands.

They remained like this until the evening, at which point Walter put down the book; they merely sat together to watch the sun set against an orange summer sky. With her head pressed against his chest, Daniels could feel the steady _thump_ of his synthetic heartbeat – he didn’t have a heart, exactly, but a system that pumped the white liquid latex fluid around his body, and it made a noise similar to that of a human heartbeat. It always remained at the same pace, no matter what, and she found it extremely calming to listen to; it reminded her that he was alive, just like any creature, and that he wasn’t really that different from the ordinary human – even if some colonists thought otherwise.

His body was warm against her own, even as a slight chill blew through the air, and she felt so safe in that moment, so loved, that she couldn’t help but smile to herself widely: their day wasn’t a terribly exciting one, true, but it was perfect to _her_ – to _them_ – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

* * *

 

The darkness of night followed the sunset, a calm silence settling in the atmosphere; Walter didn’t move beyond adjusting his arms around Daniels so that his joints wouldn’t lock or stiffen, though he did clear his throat to get her attention.

“Are you feeling hungry?” He asked quietly, audible enough for just her to hear. “I could prepare you dinner before you go to sleep.”

She shook her head, leaning back into him more. “No, I’m not hungry. Thanks though, Walter.”

Another silence fell between them, a companionable one, and for a few minutes she seemed content to merely look out at the calm environment around them. A few fireflies started to dart about, but beyond that there seemed to be little evidence of anyone else being nearby.

“I wanna go for a swim,” Daniels said suddenly, struggling to sit up.

Walter tilted his head, immediately dropping his arms so that she could get up. “Swimming?”

“In the lake,” She confirmed, nodding her head; her eyes were bright and eager as she looked at him, excitement evident. “We haven’t been swimming in the lake in…in _months_ , and it’s the middle of summer so it’s the perfect time for it.”

He seemed to consider this for a moment, gaze trained on her. “I see. It will be colder than usual as it’s night now – but if you want to go swimming, then I will go inside to get the bathing suits-”

“No,” Daniels interrupted, her grin wicked. “No bathing suits – we should go in naked.”

Walter, personally, had no issue with his own nudity – he was not equipped with an ego or any form of self-consciousness – and he was not particularly bothered if someone saw him naked. Humans, however, _did_ have many ideas about the propriety of nudity, whether it be their own or someone else’s, and it was this that made him frown slightly. “There is a chance someone will see us.”

“No one’s gonna come and bother us now,” She brushed off with a shrug. “It’s getting late, and hardly anyone will wanna walk up here in the dark. Besides, I’m not ashamed about my body – it’s not like there’s much to look at anyway.”

He blinked, head cocked. “You are…referring to your breasts? I think it’s important I inform you that a smaller breast size does not equal inadequacy – in fact, there are many who prefer-”

“I was kidding,” Daniels laughed, standing up; without warning, she shucked off her t-shirt and reached for the band of her shorts. “Are you gonna strip too or do I have to go it alone?”

Walter didn’t even hesitate as he stood, reaching to pull his hoodie over his head. “If you’re sure you want to do this, then I will come with you.”

They both finished undressing, folding their clothes and leaving them on the porch; he noticed her giving a rather appreciative glance at the sight of him naked before she made her way toward the lake with him close behind her. His estimations had been correct, of course, for the water was cold that evening – not cold enough to worry about his lover catching hyperthermia but still _cold_ – and he made a note to himself to monitor the temperature in case of any sudden changes.

Daniels didn’t seem to share his concern in the slightest, charging straight ahead into the water and waving at him to join her. “Come on, don’t get scared on me!”

“I do not get scared,” Walter reminded her as he started to wade through the lake towards her. “Fear is a human emotion, one that I am incapable of.”

She huffed out a laugh as she moved further out. “Come on then – don’t make me swim on my own!”

Walter wasn’t specifically equipped to swim – he was equipped for space travel, to look after cargo and passengers on a colony ship; swimming in lakes or similar bodies of water were not a specialty of his, though he was capable of doing it. Daniels liked swimming, however, as she liked many other physical activities, and if it was something that she enjoyed doing then he was more than happy to join her on any occasion.

It didn’t take long for him to catch up with her as he moved through the water, keeping his eyes on her naked form; she was grinning as he got closer, her hair now dripping wet. “Isn’t this great? Just us two and the lake… It’s so peaceful and quiet.” She gave a sigh, tilting her head back to look at the sky as she floated. “I could lie like this all day.”

“While that does sound relaxing,” Walter acknowledged. “I don’t think it would be beneficial for yourself or the colony in the future.”

She rolled her eyes affectionately. “No, I guess not. We never seem to get time to ourselves though… There’s always someone who wants one of us for something, and it just… I dunno, it gets tiring sometimes.”

“We are alone now though.”

“Yeah,” Daniels agreed softly, now looking at him; something seemed to burn in her eyes as she moved closer, her arms slipping out of the water and over his shoulders. “I like having you to myself.”

Her breasts were pressing against his bare chest, wet skin on skin. “I like us being alone too,” He stated, giving her a small smile – he knew what she wanted, given how she was pressing herself against him, and a part of his programming started to stir in response. “Being with you in the cabin is where I feel I belong.”

“And you’re not programmed to be romantic,” She teased, tilting her head up so that her lips edged closer to his.

Walter’s mouth covered her own immediately, and she groaned into the kiss as her fingers reached to comb through his hair; her legs were suddenly hooked around his waist, eager to get closer, and his hands gripped her rear to support her. His programming was running at full-speed now, reacting to the way she was pressed against him – and he couldn’t help the inevitable stiffening of certain body parts, the way it always reacted when she was intimate with him; it only ever happened with her, only whenever she touched him.

Daniels seemed to realize that he had started to grow an erection too, gasping against his mouth. “Fuck,” She muttered as they separated, clinging to him. “Yes, Walter, _yes_.”

“You wanted to swim in the lake,” He reminded her, though he himself had no wishes to swim when she was pressed against him like this.

“Fuck swimming in the lake,” She retorted, leaning into him. “I want you to fuck me.”

He was only somewhat surprised by this – her behaviour had indicated that she wanted sexual contact, after all – and he tilted his head with a knowing smile. “Alright, Danny.”

Walter’s arms were strong and secure as they held her against him, making his way back towards their cabin; she kissed him as he carried her, a heated desperateness that he had no problems in matching. It didn’t take long for him to make his way back to the grass, the cabin just a few feet away, and he started to walk towards it.

Daniels groaned, tugging on his hair. “No, don’t bother with the bed – do it _here_. Please, Walter…”

He was careful as he laid her down on the ground, covering her body with her own; the cool air of the night had made her nipples erect, and they pushed into his chest. Her legs fell open for him, inviting him to move between them, her hands running over every inch of his skin she could reach. As their mouths met, he slowly ran a hand down her body and to the juncture between her thighs – she was wet already in a way that had nothing to do with the water from the lake, much to his satisfaction.

She whimpered at the feeling of his fingers running over her slit, hips bucking against his hand. “Come on, Walter – I can’t wait any longer!”

Walter gave himself a few strokes, just to make sure he was fully prepared, before positioning himself at her entrance. She cried out as he pushed his hips forwards and slid into her slowly, hands gripping at his shoulders and nails digging into his skin, and he couldn’t help but give a quiet moan at the feeling; she was so hot and tight around him, so _perfect_ , that it came out naturally.

“ _Walter_ ,” Daniels mumbled, voice breathless and needy. “ _Fuck_ …”

He started to thrust, slowly at first so that he didn’t hurt her in any way, lowering his head to kiss at her neck; he could feel her heartbeat through her body, could feel her heels digging into his lower back as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her whimpers and groans encouraged him to move faster, pushing into her as far as he could each time – he wanted to hear her make more of these sounds, wanted to be the reason _why_ she arched and cried out.

“Danny,” He muttered, leaning in to kiss her on the mouth.

“I love you,” She murmured, one hand moving to cup his face; her eyes were wide and adoring as they looked at him – it had been the way she used to look at her late husband, he had noticed on several occasions, and it pleased him more than he cared to admit. “I love you so much.”

Walter paused, looking down at her; as a synthetic, he was not supposed to ‘love’ – it was a human emotion, one he was supposed to be incapable of. But it was undeniable, even to him, that he loved her too; perhaps he didn’t love her like another human would have, but he _did_ love her – and a part of him knew he always would.

“Walter?”

“I love you too, Danny,” He said softly, reaching to push a wet tuft of hair off her forehead. Before she could say anything else, he kissed her and started to move once again; this time his thrusts were short and quick with the purpose of bringing her closer to her edge, all of his programs telling him that his objective was to pleasure and satisfy her.

Their love-making in the grass didn’t last that much longer: just mere minutes later, Daniels was crying out her lover’s name as she clawed at his back and arched underneath him, as close to perfection as any human could come, he thought. Even in the middle of her own climax, she encouraged Walter to follow her over the edge, and it was her words alongside the feeling of her walls milking him that caused him to find his own high; all of his systems were overwhelmed, his brain struggling to process and compute as a live current shot up his spine.

She exhaled in satisfaction at the feeling of the fluid he had released – a safe sticky substance that made the experience far more realistic for her – and started to trail her hands over the curve of his naked back. “Fuck, that was amazing.”

“It was very satisfactory,” He acknowledged, and his fingers were tentative as they lingered over her hip bones “I must admit, I find it to be overall preferable to swimming.”

Her laugh was quiet and amused as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. “Yeah… I think I do too.”

* * *

 

Mondays always felt rather disappointing after the relaxation and fun of a Sunday – but at least Tennessee was already up to greet her that morning, as always. It made the weekdays slightly more bearable, having a friendly face to laugh and joke about with, and she was pleased to see him waiting for her on a bench near the wheat field with two cups of coffee already prepared.

“You look like shit,” Daniels muttered good-naturedly, and she picked up one of the mugs immediately.

He grinned in response. “And you’ve got hickeys on your neck.”

The hand not holding her coffee immediately flew to cover her throat, her cheeks burning – but there was an unmistakable smile on her face too. “Shut up, it’s not like that.”

“ _Sure_ it’s not,” Tennessee chuckled, shaking his head to himself. “Hey, I’m pleased for you – at least one of us is getting laid on the regular.”

“Jesus, Tee!” Daniels laughed, slapping him lightly on the arm. “If I knew you were so interested, I’d have let you come down to the lake to watch.”

He pulled a face, waving a hand at her. “Fuck, that’s not an image I want – don’t get me wrong, Walter’s a good-looking guy and everything, but I think I’d have to gouge my fucking eyes out if I saw you two going at it.”

Their work for the day wasn’t particularly exciting – it never was – but she was glad that she had Tennessee for company: he always managed to keep her amused and in good-spirits, even if they were dealing with the most ridiculous of colonist complaints or the dullest of tasks. Walter joined them a few hours later as they tended to one of the crop fields, examining each plant carefully for any imperfections or a sign of malnourishment – it made the job a lot easier if he offered his expertise, for one, and flora was something he excelled in.

As he studied the soil that a tomato plant was growing in carefully, Daniels couldn’t help but notice how delicate his touch was; he was gentle as he combed his fingers through the soil, careful not to disturb any part of the plant or earth too much, and even more so when he cupped a round tomato to examine closer. It wasn’t the only thing he was delicate around, she thought: he was always gentle with her, for one, and when around the children of Origae-6 – another reason why they all loved him so much.

When compared to his ‘brother’, the difference was striking: they may have shared the same attractive facial features, sure, but she was only more adamant now that Walter was the complete opposite of the David-8 model they had met on their journey. Her synthetic had no desire to be superior to humans, or to harm them in his own pursuits, and he _wanted_ to ensure the continued success of the growing colony whereas David would have used it for his own twisted experimentation.

Most importantly, at least to Daniels, she knew that he would never hurt her: David had once pinned her down and forced himself on her, intending to do _God knows what_ to her – a sharp contrast to the loving and tender way Walter would be intimate with her, always making sure she was consenting.

As he finished examining the tomato plant and stood, he caught sight of her watching him; he smiled at her, a shark-tooth grin that made many of the colonists feel uneasy…but not her. She merely smiled back brightly before clearing the thoughts from her head – there was more than enough work to be done without her dwelling on her own thoughts, after all.

Keeping this in mind, Daniels picked up her datapad from the bench and flicked through the rest of the tasks for the day.

* * *

 

_“We’ll have to say goodbye to everyone,” Daniels reminded him, even as he pressed kisses against her face. “My dad won’t be happy – he was hoping we’d give him some grandkids to spoil… You’re sure about this?”_

_“Yeah,” Jacob agreed earnestly, grinning at her; between the unshaved scruff on his face and his wide eyes, he looked like an overgrown puppy. “I’ve started making plans for our new home already. You wanna hear?”_

_Her smile was coy as his hands drifted over her thighs. “Hmm…I could use some convincing.”_

_His breath ghosted over her face as he chuckled, fingers playing with the waistband of the shorts she had worn to bed that night. “It’s gonna be a cabin, hopefully near a lake. We’ll build it out of real wood and everything, like **real** pioneers.” One hand ran slowly up her side and started to palm a breast through her vest top. “We can be near nature and, eventually, start a family.”_

_“You’re already planning kids then,” Daniels murmured, running a hand through his hair._

_“Oh, yeah. We’ll have a whole herd,” Jacob declared, leaning in to nip at her earlobe. “You’d be the best mother ever, you know that?”_

_She frowned, suddenly feeling something cold wash over her. “I don’t think so.”_

_He stilled for a moment, seeming to realize just where her thoughts had gone. “You_ _will_ _be a great mother. I know you will. You’ll teach them all about plants and biology, and they’ll love you just like I love you.”_

_Her husband knew her better than anyone, except for her father, and yet she couldn’t help but feel somewhat unsure. Even so, he looked so happy and eager that she couldn’t quite bring herself to shatter his dream._

_“Okay,” Daniels said, voice no louder than a whisper as she smiled. “A herd…we’re going to be busy.”_

_“Definitely,” He agreed, and his hands resumed touching her as he lowered his mouth over her throat. “I’m gonna draw up the designs in the morning, and then you can see it for yourself. Now, though,” He said huskily, his fingers playing with the bottom of her top. “I think we need to practice if we’re gonna have a herd of kids.”_

_He was a selfless lover, always, focusing on her needs before his own and making sure she enjoyed herself – but tonight he was even more so, murmuring words of adoration and love into her skin as he embraced her tightly._

_Starting a family was the very last thing on her mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m all kinds of evil, aren’t I?  
> The end section was a part of a fic I wrote called “Borrowed Kisses” that focused a lot on Daniels before/during the movie as well as after, mostly about her relationships with Jacob and Walter. I changed a few things a little just so it fit a little better with this fic/with what I had in mind.  
> Another key theme in this fic, I think it’s safe for me to say, is Daniels’ relationship with her mother, and how it affects her when she and Walter decide to have children. In the ‘Phobos’ featurette, when the voice says, “Mother”, she says “bitch”, which indicates that she really didn’t have a good relationship with her mother at all – and I’m all for angsty background stuff ;)  
> Thank you for reading so far! It’s slow-going, I know, but I wanted to kind of build up a backstory/the relationship between Walter and Daniels before hitting the nitty gritty stuff. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, things are starting to take the direction that we want in this chapter – we’re really getting down to it!
> 
> I wasn’t intending on there being smut in this chapter but the word count was a tad low so I kind of decided “screw it, I’ve already implied it anyway, might as well go full-on”. I promise there won’t be smut for another few chapters after this, at least not according to my plans (or maybe you guys love smut, in which case hooray!) - think of the smut in this chapter being a present because of all the angst I'm planning ;) I've tried not to make it too explicit anyway, just in case!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

_“Okay, now imagine this, Danny – we put a porch there, so we can look out at the lake. Imagine how it’s gonna look, the sunlight on the lake – it’ll look incredible.”_

_Daniels simply smiled fondly as he tinkered with the projection he was showing her; he’d been showing her his plans all week, constantly adjusting and altering the designs of a cabin – their cabin, he told her. Truthfully, she could see the appeal of it: it was simple, very homely, and it meant being close to nature – that, and it made him happy. That was the important part._

_“… I’m thinking that we have a few bedrooms,” Jacob continued thoughtfully. “Obviously we’d have the biggest one – nothing too fancy, just somewhere to sleep and live – and then we’ll have the smaller ones for the kids.”_

_Her smile faded somewhat, and she found herself feeling apprehensive. “Hmm.”_

_Jacob immediately turned to face her, sensing that something was wrong. “What? What’s the matter?”_

_“Nothing,” She brushed off quickly. “It’s just…it’s pretty far in the future. I mean, we’ll be in cryosleep for seven or eight years, for one, and then there’s the whole settling the colony in to do…might be a while before we have to start thinking about that.”_

_“About kids?” He looked confused. “I know it won’t be for a while, but it’s still something we have to think about when we’re building our new home.” He hesitated, seeming to consider something; when he spoke again, his voice was far quieter. “Danny…do you not want kids?”_

_“It’s not that I don’t want them,” Daniels said hurriedly, and she took his hand. “It’s just that…I don’t know.”_

_Jacob sighed, squeezing her hand in his own tightly. “I won’t be mad if you don’t want them: I’m not gonna force you to have kids if it’s not something you want too.”_

_She thought about it, about what the future might bring, and shook her head. “No, I do want us to have kids – I do, Jake, honestly, and I know that you’d be a great father…but I don’t know about me.”_

_“Danny, you’d be the best mother ever,” He stated, and he gave her a grin that made her stomach flip. “I know you would because I know you – our kids would be the luckiest kids on the planet. I think you’d be the hottest mother too, if that counts for anything.” She laughed at the wink he sent her, even though she still felt unsure; he turned serious again, completely sincere and genuine. “You won’t be anything like **her**_ **,** _I promise.”_

_“No,” Daniels agreed softly, laying her head on his shoulder. “I won’t be like her. I don’t **want** to be like her, at least.”_

_“And you won’t be,” Jacob promised, fingers squeezing hers again reassuringly. “You and me, we’ve got this: we’ll build our cabin and settle down before starting a family, and we’ll work it all out together as it comes. We’ll be that weird hippy couple who live in a cabin with their kids and go out hiking as a family at the weekend.”_

_Even with uncertainty still nagging at her, Daniels couldn’t help but give a small chuckle; he was right, of course, because even if she was the universe’s worst mother she would have him by her side – they’d do it together as a team._

_Feeling somewhat more assured, she looked at the projection of his cabin drawing and nudged him. “How about two bedrooms for kids?”_

_“Two sounds perfect,” Jacob affirmed, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before moving to edit his plan on the datapad. “It’s a good number - and if we want to change it later, we can. No pressure.”_

* * *

 

When Daniels woke up that morning, it was to an empty bed and with her eyes stinging with tears; she hadn’t had dreams about Jacob for years now, and seeing him so happy and hopeful for their future made her heart ache in her chest. He had been the most indecisive man she’d ever met, changing just about everything in their plans for the cabin – but the number of bedrooms hadn’t since that conversation, though they had discussed it briefly a few times.

When she and Walter had built the cabin, following his plans exactly, they’d included the bedrooms – both of which were still empty and gathering dust.

It was unfair, she thought to herself angrily; Jacob had been so excited, so happy about his plans and about the prospect of starting their new life on this new planet – but he was gone before he could see any of it, could see the cabin he had dreamed about, and it was _wrong_. He should have survived, should have helped her with the cabin, should have been there every morning when she woke up and every evening to watch the sunset with her – they should have filled the two spare bedrooms.

But she had Walter; even though she still loved her late husband (she always would, no matter how many years passed since his death), she loved Walter just as much and wouldn’t trade their new life together for anything.

They were content together, having settled into a comfortable way of living in their cabin over the past few years: they slept in the same bed, spent time together, and he was always there for her when she had a nightmare or flashback that made her heart pound and her body shake. Even if some of the colonists were assholes about their relationship, Daniels was more than happy.

Even so, it was hard not to think about what could have been.

“Danny?”

She raised her head and saw Walter standing in the doorway to the bedroom; he looked concerned as he studied her, one hand clutching a mug of coffee for her. “Hmm?”

“You look upset,” He stated, moving forward now; he placed the mug on the side-table near the bed and immediately took her hand. “You have been crying – your eyes are red, and there are tear tracks on your cheeks. What’s the matter?”

“I’m fine,” Daniels dismissed, avoiding his look. “Just…a dream.”

His face lit up with understanding. “I see. Do you want to talk about your dream? I’m more than willing to listen.”

“Really, I’m fine,” She reiterated, shaking her head. “It was just a weird dream, that’s all – I’d rather forget it.”

Walter frowned but didn’t pursue the matter any further – he knew better than to force her. “Alright. I made you coffee, and I’m making breakfast in the kitchen: it won’t be long until it’s ready.”

“Okay. Thanks, Walter,” She muttered, and she gave him a smile for good measure; he grinned back, showing off all of his teeth (damn what the other colonists said, she liked his unique smile) before leaving the room.

 _Stop it_ , Daniels told herself sternly, running a hand over her face: _You’re being stupid. I love Walter, and I’m not giving that up over anything_.

Even as she got ready for the day ahead, though, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy settle over her.

* * *

 

Walter had known Daniels for a long time, since he had first met her after his activation just days before the Covenant took off; he had watched over her as she slept in her pod, had protected her from alien life-forms and a rouge android, and they had lived together in their cabin for years. He knew her body, knew every scar and blemish – most importantly, he knew when she was upset or dwelling on something.

For a number of weeks now, she had been behaving differently; her demeanour had grown quiet, her smiles becoming less frequent – and then there was how she slept. Walter had noticed that she had been sleeping less, for one, and that when she did sleep she frowned or had what was presumably strange dreams – when he questioned her on it, though, she would pass it off as nothing and tell him that she was fine.

He couldn’t exactly worry – that was a human capability, he told himself – but he _was_ definitely unsettled by it.

It didn’t take long for him to establish what was bothering her: as the weeks passed, he had noticed Daniels staring at him while he interacted with the children of the colony, helping them and playing games with them. He had also observed that when the children interacted with her, she seemed to brighten somewhat – only for it to fade away once the child in question ran off to play with their friends.

He did not want Daniels to be unhappy at all: he would do anything to ensure her happiness and safety. However, this was something that Walter really couldn’t give her, as much as he may have wanted to – and it hurt him to know that he couldn’t, because he knew that it was his inadequacy that was the reason for her unhappiness.

* * *

 

Walter had already started on making dinner by the time Daniels returned to the cabin; she was exhausted, slightly sweaty from a full day of work, and sporting a number of oil grease marks on her clothes and skin. She grinned at the sight of him hovering over numerous pots and pans as she walked into the kitchen area, inhaling deeply. “Smells good.”

“It’s also nutritious,” He informed her, and he smiled as she sat at the kitchen counter to watch him. “The vegetables are fresh – I harvested them from the greenhouse this afternoon. How was your day?”

She shrugged, holding back a yawn as she rested her head on her hand. “The usual. Some asshole broke a piece of terraforming equipment, so I ended up having to fix it – whatever the fuck they did to it, they messed it up bad.”

After eating (the dinner was, of course, as delicious as usual), Daniels helped Walter with the dishes; he noticed her eyes roving over his form appreciatively when he moved to put the plates away, resting on his behind and burning with undisguised lust. He knew that look well, and he couldn’t help the excited spark that stirred in him as she put the dish towel down and looked over at him.

“I’m gonna take a shower,” She told him, voice low and laced with desire. “Maybe you’d like to join me?”

“Maybe I would,” He agreed seriously, catching on quickly.

Daniels grinned as she stepped closer, arms twining around his waist and her hands reaching to cup his ass. “Come on – you can help me clean those _hard-to-reach_ places.”

Walter was more than willing as she took him by the hand and led him out of the kitchen area and up the stairs, a large smile spreading across his face; it was obvious that she was extremely eager, not stopping at all until they reached the bathroom. As soon as they were there, she released his hand and turned to face him; without saying anything, she started to undress quickly. He relieved himself of his own clothes too, shucking the hoodie over his head and pushing down the trousers and underwear he had worn that day; he folded them carefully, leaving them in a neat pile near the toilet.

Daniels was nowhere near as concerned about her own clothing, judging by the way she threw each item onto the floor before stepping into the shower; she sent him a wink over her shoulder as she turned the water on, testing the temperature and altering it to be comfortably warm. He closed the shower door behind him as he stepped in behind her; the small space meant being pressed together, her back against his chest – not that either of them minded, of course.

Once the water was the right temperature, she exhaled and pushed herself back against him; her ass rubbed deliciously against his pelvis, and she grinned to herself at the feeling of him starting to stiffen. “You like that, huh?”

“Yes,” He agreed, and his hands wrapped around her from behind. “Only when you are the one doing it, of course.”

She laughed quietly at his response, tilting her head back to rest on his shoulder; his mouth immediately started to brush over her skin, gentle even as he nipped and explored. Her body relaxed against his own, the muscles losing tension as he continued to lavish her throat and the water fell over them; with one hand holding her close, the other drifted up over her stomach to cup a breast, causing her to groan loudly.

“Feels so good,” She murmured, arching against him; she gave a whimper when his fingers found her nipple and squeezed. “Walter…”

“I’m here,” He told her, and his voice was gentle beside her ear. “Tell me what to do, Danny.”

Immediately Daniels twisted around so that they were face-to-face, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips against his; they kissed feverishly, a desperation behind it, hands wandering over bodies to touch and feel. Her nails raked over his scalp as she ran a hand through his hair, her breasts pressed into him and one leg lifting to wrap around his waist – she clearly wasn’t intending to take her time.

When she pulled away, gasping for air, she smiled wickedly; her hand suddenly closed around him, stroking and squeezing pleasantly. “No more waiting: I want you now.”

“I told you, I’m here already-”

“You know what I mean,” She huffed, rolling her eyes affectionately. “I want you to take me against the wall.”

Walter nodded, gently moving her so that her back was against the tiled wall of the shower; pinning her there with his own body, his hands lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist so that she was open for him. It didn’t take long to position himself correctly, and he kissed her as he slowly slid into her.

“Fuck, Walter,” She moaned against his mouth, digging her nails into his shoulders. “Come on, you can go faster – I’m not about to break.”

With that in mind, he started to thrust hard, already building a rhythm that would be pleasing to her; she cried out in pleasure, doing her best to match his movements by grinding her hips down against him. The water from the shower made it more than easy for them to move together in this way, clinging to one another as the water rushed over them.

It was not long before Daniels fell over the edge, clutching at him desperately as she keened and whimpered. Walter followed shortly after, the feel of her walls clenching around him too much; he gasped her name as he released fluid into her, burying his face into her shoulder as his systems struggled to compute the sensations running through him. It took him a few minutes to come back to himself, and when he did he was aware of her hand carding through his hair, her entire body wrapped around him and warm.

The spray from the shower had hidden the tears that were on his face, washed them away – she was none the wiser.

She laughed when they separated, unperturbed by the sticky fluid that started to drip from her, and allowed him to help her clean herself off. As he carefully scrubbed the oil stains from her shoulders, she pressed a kiss to his nose, a small peck, and whispered that she loved him; he repeated it, a small part of him delighted when she beamed happily.

Another part of him, however, felt an unmistakeable pang: after the conversation Walter was planning for them to have, it was possible that he would never be intimate with her again – and that was what had caused his tears as he had held her in his arms, making love to her for what could have been the last time.

It was selfish of him to hope that it wasn’t the last time – but he couldn’t help it because, despite the fact he was not human, he loved her more than anything.

* * *

 

Daniels was humming as she pulled a pair of shorts over her legs, feeling refreshed and sated after her shower with her lover; while they hadn’t exactly spent a lot of time getting clean, as it were, it had still been more than satisfying for the both of them.

Walter was already on the bed, watching her keenly as she had dressed; she grinned at him widely, immediately clambering beside him and settling against his side She pressed herself as close to him as was possible, revelling in the intimacy of their closeness and of how safe she felt whilst with him. His hand was gentle as it rested on her back, fingers starting to trace small patterns on her skin. For a few minutes, the two of them merely lay there contently, peaceful and happy together – the way it should be.

She felt him shift next to her before he cleared his throat, somewhat uncomfortably. “Danny… I think we need to discuss something.”

“We do?” She asked, rather confused. “Okay, sure. What’s wrong?”

Walter hesitated, moving away from her to sit up and then waiting until she had done the same before speaking. “It’s come to my attention that lately you have been decidedly unhappy.”

“Unhappy? I haven’t-”

“You haven’t been sleeping,” He stated, sounding genuinely concerned. “I have noticed on more than one occasion that you’ve cried and tried to hide it, and you do not seem to be yourself. To add…” He paused, looking uncomfortable. “I’ve seen you watching the children who live in the colony, Daniels: you look happier when they come to you, but when they go you are sad again. I think I understand what is making you upset.”

Daniels briefly considered lying about it – about denying what he had said and trying to change the subject – but she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea: she trusted Walter, for one, and it really was only fair to tell him.

“Alright, fine,” She sighed, avoiding his eyes. “I _have_ been thinking about…about _that_ lately. It’s just that I’ve seen you with the kids here, seen how you make all of them so happy, and it’s just made me think about it.” _About Jake too – about his plans_.

“I am aware that you and Captain Branson would have started a family here,” Walter said gently. “The cabin was designed to have rooms for children, judging by the plans we used. It must be disappointing that these plans are no longer an option.” He hesitated again, uncomfortable and uncertain. “At least, not while you are in a relationship with me.”

She frowned. “Walter…”

“I have the parts,” He reminded her carefully, “But I can’t give you that. I cannot procreate.”

“I know you can’t. But I don’t care, I really don’t.”

He appeared to be deep in thought, even as he looked at her seriously. “You are still young and healthy – you should be more than capable of having children, should you want to. But while you are with me, it isn’t possible… My concern is that, by remaining with me, you will miss your chance to have children and therefore be unsatisfied; perhaps you would be happier with someone who would be able to give you this.”

“I wouldn’t,” Daniels disagreed immediately. “I told you, I don’t care – the only thing I want is to be with _you_ in this cabin, and that’s enough to make me happy. I don’t want anyone else, not even if they can give me children, because they wouldn’t be you.”

Walter seemed surprised by this proclamation, tilting his head. “But you and the Captain-”

“First of all, _I’m_ technically ‘the Captain’,” She interrupted, somewhat annoyed. “Secondly, yeah, Jake and I would have probably had kids at some point, but it wasn’t something we had completely agreed on or planned out – it’s not that important to me, Walter, I promise.”

“You say that now,” He said quietly. “But what if you don’t feel this way in the future? What if you look back and wish you had taken the chance to do it?”

Her hand reached out to cup his cheek, turning his face towards her so that he could see she was telling the truth. “I won’t, Walter, I know I won’t. Honestly? Kids might have been great, and you…you’re so good with them. But it won’t happen, and I’ve accepted that – I’m happy with you, and I want it to stay that way.” _That_ , she thought to herself, _and I’d be a terrible mother. Maybe it’s just the way it’s supposed to be._

Her synthetic still looked uncertain, even as he reached to take her hand in his own. “Only if you are sure – I will not be angry if you decide you do want to find someone else who can give you this. I’ll understand.”

“I know you would,” Daniels agreed. “But it’s not going to happen because I love you and just you.” She pressed a kiss to his mouth, one that he reciprocated after only a second of being taken aback; when she pulled away she was breathing heavily, pressing herself against him so that they could remain close. “This is what I want – just this, just _us_.”

Walter’s face lit up noticeably at her words, and her heart warmed in her chest as he smiled. “I want that too, Danny.”

He helped her get comfortable before turning out the lamp, letting her rest her head against his chest as she fell asleep; a part of her still ached at the fact that it wasn’t possible (even if her brain told her it was probably for the best), but she knew that she had Walter – and that was the only thing that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long it took to update! Real life got in the way (again).
> 
> A few of you were like “let them talk about it soon!” and so here it is – the conversation you’ve been waiting for! As I said, it’s going to be a slow-burner! I’ve planned Chapters 4 and 5 out, so hopefully they won’t take too long to write! :)
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments – I live for them!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far – I can’t wait for you all to see what I have planned! :D
> 
> I’m sorry for my lack of updates, I’ve been SUPER busy with university stuff, and also with another story I’ve been writing for Daniels and Walter – it’s called “Christmas on Origae-6” and it’s just little drabbles for all the days from 1st December to 25th December :3 
> 
> This chapter is kind of a bit short, but I got a little bit stuck. There’s going to be plenty of long chapters to come, hopefully, so don’t worry! :)
> 
> And just think…the angst is only just starting in this fic...

“At what point are we allowed to ask the colonists to stop breeding?”

Daniels couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head at her friend. “We can’t – that was the whole point of us even coming here, remember?”

“Well, shit,” Tennesee muttered, though he was grinning as he took a swig of his beer. “Don’t get me wrong, I think most the kids here are adorable – but they’re _everywhere_ , you know? Every colony gathering we arrange, I’m surrounded by kids running around; almost makes it hard to enjoy a good beer.”

“ _Almost_.”

“I enjoy my beer – takes a lot to ruin it,” He chuckled, and she nodded in agreement as she finished her own bottle. “I’m assuming Walter got ambushed by the rugrats when you got here, right?”

Daniels found herself smiling, somewhat fondly even though a tiny part of her stirred with sadness. “Of course; I haven’t seen him since we got here – a couple of the kids said something about hide-and-seek, so I guess he’s still playing that.”

Tennessee snorted with amusement at the image of it. “I gotta hand it to him, he’s good at dealing with them; there’s no way in hell I’d do that stuff. Is he any good at hiding?”

“Honestly? No, he’s pretty shit at hiding,” She mused. “He’s a lot better at the seeking part – I think the kids prefer it when he’s finding them anyway, lets them be more creative about hiding places.”

“Figures that the one time he actually comes to one of these things, and the kids steal him from you,” Her friend joked.

She didn’t bother mentioning that the reason Walter had agreed to play with the children was because he didn’t want her to be “ostracized” by the other colonists due to his presence; she had tried to protest, telling him not to be ridiculous, but he hadn’t listened. As much as she hated to admit it, since their conversation just a few days previously regarding children (or, rather, the impossibility of such), things had been somewhat tense between them; he was maddeningly polite to the point that it was driving her crazy, and she could see him frowning to himself sometimes in thought when he thought she wasn’t looking – it was obvious what he was thinking about.

“Danny? You with me?”

“Yeah, I’m with you,” Daniels muttered, forcing herself to smile once more. “I’m just tired; I’m getting old.”

Tennessee snorted quietly. “You’re still young, less of the old talk – if you’re old, what does that make me?”

“ _Definitely_ old,” She jibed good-naturedly, laughing again now.

It was easy to laugh with him, always had been; he had that way about him, a way of making people comfortable enough to relax and unwind for a few hours – it was more than easy for Daniels to forget about her and Walter’s conversation earlier that week when she was with Tennessee, if only for a few hours.

* * *

 

It was starting to get late, the orange of the summer evening fading to a darkening sky; most of the children had grown tired and were pulling at their parents’ clothes, whining that they wanted to go home to sleep. The ones who weren’t had coerced Walter into sitting on the grass with them, settling down to listen as he told them a story; he had memorised the words of many children’s books and filed them away for occasions such as these. Daniels found herself watching from afar, trying not to feel so empty as she smiled sadly – so far, it wasn’t working.

Shortly before it grew completely dark, one of the young couples in attendance proclaimed that they had an announcement; they waited until the other colony members had quietened to listen, both of them smiling widely with their arms around each other.

“So, we got a pretty amazing bit of news this morning,” The man – _Ed? No, it’s probably Joe_ , Daniels thought absent-mindedly – said excitedly, and his wife looked ready to burst into tears. “The doctors finally gave us the news we’ve been waiting for since last spring… This time next year, we’re gonna be parents!”

 _Jesus, another one?_ Still, Daniels clapped politely as the others (including a rather-drunk Tennessee) burst into applause and hollered. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Walter clap somewhat-awkwardly – with the replacement hand he’d been given upon the Covenant’s arrival on Origae-6, simple actions such as clapping were slightly more difficult.

As everyone started to move forwards to congratulate the expectant couple, she took a swig of beer and turned to Tennessee. “Since last spring…they tried for a long time, huh?”

“What, you didn’t know?”

“Tee, there’s over two thousand colonists here,” She reminded him dryly. “How am I supposed to know every detail about all of their lives?”

He snorted. “True, and you _do_ hole up with Walter in that cabin most the time. But yeah,” He continued before she could retort to his comment. “They were trying a real long time – turns out both of them had something wrong with them, apparently made it impossible to have kids. The whole colony talked about it for weeks.”

“But they’re having a baby now,” She pointed out.

“Yeah, but they used one of those embryos,” He shrugged, knocking back the rest of his beer. “That’s what Mary Anne’s been saying, at least; we’ve got about nine hundred of those things still in storage.”

All of a sudden, a realization struck Daniels; the Covenant had transported over a thousand embryos from Earth to Origae-6, and though a few had been lost on the journey, most of them had survived. When the ship was deconstructed, they had been carefully moved to a cold storage area in the newly-built hospital (if it could be called that); she hadn’t given it a thought since, seeing as it was not her responsibility any longer to worry about them.

But now her mind was racing, body suddenly feeling alive.

“Danny?” Tennessee sounded puzzled by her silence. “You alright?”

Daniels couldn’t stop herself from smiling knowingly as she finished the last of her beer, her eyes bright. “Never better, Tee.”

* * *

 

Walter had noticed that there had been tension between himself and Daniels since their conversation regarding children: it was obvious to him that she was still somewhat upset, mourning almost, over what she couldn’t have – at least, not while she was in a romantic relationship with him. Synthetics were not made with the ability to procreate as they had no genes to pass on; their function was to serve until the day they were deactivated, to carry out tasks and assist their humans with whatever they needed.

It hurt him that he couldn’t assist Daniels by giving her what she wanted.

He didn’t want to end their relationship – it was selfish of him, he knew, but he simply couldn’t help it; he had grown too strongly attached, had fallen _in love_ with her despite his best efforts to convince himself that it wasn’t possible. To leave her now, even with the knowledge that she’d most likely be happier with someone who could give her what she wanted, was _not preferable_ – in fact, it was one of the worst things he was able to conceive of.

All of this had led Walter to feeling torn on the matter: if he stayed, selfishly, she would not be happy because she would not be able to have children, and if he left, she would be free to be with someone else who could – but she had stated that she didn’t want someone else, and he had considered it highly possible that leaving her would mean making her even more miserable. It was a difficult problem, one even he couldn’t work out.

For this reason, he decided that another conversation would be the best option to take; talking things out between them might make his choices clearer before he made a decision.

He had only just started on dinner that evening when she arrived back at the cabin, face alive and eyes bright; there was a bounce in her step, and she looked happier than she had done in a while. It didn’t make sense to him, but perhaps she was hiding how she was feeling? It would be best to discuss that too during their conversation, he decided.

“Hey,” Daniels hummed, coming up from behind and slipping her arms around his waist. “How was your day?”

“Normal,” Walter replied carefully. “And your day?”

“Great!” She said optimistically. “Actually…we’ve gotta talk about something. Can you let dinner simmer for a while? It’s important.”

Perhaps she was happy because she’d finally been able to come to terms with their situation – or maybe she was feeling excited about finding someone else to settle down with. He erased that thought from his head immediately, seeing it as extremely unhelpful, and followed her to sit in the chairs in the living area.

Daniels was grinned as she moved closer to him, unable to contain her excitement. “So, last night at that party, that couple who said they were having a baby…”

“James and Sandra,” Walter stated.

“Right, them,” She agreed dismissively. “Well, according to Tennessee, there was a lot of gossip going around because it turned out they couldn’t have kids – whether that’s just gossip or true, I dunno, but Tee said something, and I had this _great_ idea.”

He tilted his head; for some reason, one of the possible things she was about to say was that maybe she and Tennessee were going to get together – he couldn’t see how it would work, however.

“On the ship, we had all those embryos in cryosleep,” Daniels continued. “We had about a thousand of them, I think, ready to start new lives on this planet. When we took the ship apart to oxidise, all the embryos got moved to storage in the hospital, right?”

“That’s correct. There were one-thousand and one-hundred when we first left Earth,” He recalled easily. “However, some did not make the journey and had to be disposed of.”

She blinked, slightly perturbed by this information. “Oh. But you’re missing the point, Walter!” She leaned forwards, taking his hands and looking excited. “There’s still hundreds of embryos in cold storage right now - hundreds of them, waiting to be implanted and to grow…to be _born_.”

“What are you suggesting, Danny?”

Daniels smiled. “I think we should use an embryo to have a baby.”

Immediately his mind started to whir, all of his systems struggling to develop an acceptable response to her suggestion. He could only barely register that she was continuing to speak, passionate and excited.

“…They’re already at the embryo stage, which means all the doctors would have to do is implant one in me,” She said, her brow creasing slightly at the thought. “I mean, it doesn’t sound too appealing when I say it like that, but still! It’ll take a few tries to get right, I know, they have to figure out _cycles_ and all that, but I think-”

“Danny.” Walter’s voice was firm, and she noticed that he was frowning. “What you say is correct – it would certainly be possible for you to have a child via embryonic implantation – but…but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“What?”

“At least, not while you are with me,” He added. “I do not think it would be a good idea while you’re in a relationship with me.”

Daniels frowned too, feeling both hurt and confused. “I don’t understand, Walter… Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

He hesitated, clearly formulating his next response carefully. “Danny, a synthetic such a myself would not make a good father.”

“That’s bullshit,” She said immediately, folding her arms. “That’s fucking bullshit, and you know it.”

Walter ignored her protest. “I will admit that while I am not supposed to feel emotions, I do feel them for you – but you’re the only one I’ve been capable of feeling such strong emotions for. Therefore, it would be highly possible that I would not be able to feel strong emotions such as love for a child, even if I wanted to: that would be unfair and detrimental on a child.”

“You don’t seriously believe that,” She muttered, flabbergasted by this. “I’ve seen you around the kids in this colony – don’t tell me you don’t care for each and every one of them! Besides, it’d be different – it’d be _our_ baby-”

“But it wouldn’t,” He disagreed quietly. “It would not have any DNA or genetic material from myself; studies have shown that human children thrive best when raised by human parents, particularly if DNA is shared.”

Daniels huffed. “It wouldn’t have _my_ DNA either, you know – but it’d still be _ours_. It’s not about DNA, Walter, it’s about _love_ and…and being there. Being biologically related to someone doesn’t mean you’ll instantly love your kid, or that they’ll love you.”

She knew this for a fact: her own mother hadn’t loved her, at least not enough to stay in the picture. The memory of her mother walking out, and abandoning her and her father was still painfully prominent in her mind; sharing DNA and blood didn’t mean that you’d love your child or that they would love you – she certainly didn’t love her mother at all.

“Not always,” Walter admitted. “But for someone such as myself, it would be highly unlikely that I’d be able to give a child the emotional support that they need.”

“Walter…”

“It’s not merely that. Just think about it, Daniels,” He continued. “The entire colony has outcast you because you have chosen to pursue a relationship with me. It would be highly likely that a child raised by a synthetic would be treated the same and ostracized from society. Do you want that for a child?”

She stood, clenching her fists and glaring at him. “You’re being _ridiculous_ , Walter! Everything you’ve said is a pile of shit, and you know it!”

Walter seemed surprised by her outburst as he stood, putting his hands on her arms to calm her down. “Daniels, I’m merely trying to think logically-”

“Fuck logic,” Daniels hissed, shaking off his touch. “You’d be _more_ than adequate as a father, and you know it! I’ve seen you play with all the other children on this damn planet; I’ve seen how fond you are of every one of them, how they _love_ you like an uncle or a friend. The children all adore you, Walter, but you don’t seem to see it – and if all those children adore you, then a baby of our own would too!”

A silence fell between them as her words sank in; he tried to think of a decent argument in response, but he could think of nothing that sounded sufficient enough. Nothing sounded even remotely logical when he considered what to say.

After a moment, Daniels sighed, deflating a bit and looking down at the floor. “Look, Walter, I’m sorry. I can’t force you to agree to this – that’s the last thing I want. This is just as much about you and what you want than me; I want it to be a mutual agreement, not me forcing you to do whatever I say. I just thought…it doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter,” Walter said, voice soft. She raised her head to look at him. “I…It’s a rather important and highly impactful decision; you’ve given me a lot to consider, Daniels. I think I would like time to process and consider it first before coming to a final decision, if that’s okay.”

“Walter, that’s more than okay,” She agreed, and her eyes were tearful as she reached to wrap her arms around him. “Take all the time and think all you want. Just…please don’t agree to it because it’ll make me happy, not if it’s something you don’t want too. It has to be your honest decision, and whatever it is, I’ll accept it.”

“I know,” He assured her gently, returning the embrace. “I will consider the offer and tell you my thoughts as soon as I’m certain on what I want. Now, however,” The corners of his mouth turned up. “I would like to finish making you dinner. Is that acceptable?”

Daniels laughed softly at this, grinning despite herself. “Sure, that sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M EVIL
> 
> IT’S COMING VERY VERY SOON THOUGH, I PROMISE – it comes with a boat load of angst and tears, but it’s coming! :D  
> Don’t forget to leave any thoughts – it makes my day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, there’s a section with some implied sexy stuff but I did a fade-to-black kind of thing since two of the chapters already thus far contain smut. 
> 
> I just want to clarify that Walter did lose his hand on Origae-6 – everything that happened in the film happened, up until the switchover between Walter and David. Daniels gave Walter a replacement hand on their arrival to Origae-6; there were spare parts or maybe someone made one.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It was still early in the evening when Daniels entered the bedroom after her shower and found him on the bed, reading a book on plants; she couldn’t help but grin to herself as she moved to climb into bed beside him, heart growing warm at the sight of him. He looked up as she settled beside him, a smile lighting up his features. “Did you have a relaxing shower, Danny?”

“Yeah, it was great,” She affirmed, resting her head on his shoulder and looking at the page he was studying. “ _Orchis Italia_?”

“They were most commonly found in the Mediterranean,” Walter informed her. “Usually their colouring was purple, and it preferred partial shade and low nutrient soil.”

Daniels looked at the picture of the plant in the book and bit her lip to contain a laugh. “It looks like a naked guy.”

“Yes, it does,” He agreed, somewhat amused. “In fact, one of its other names was the ‘ _naked man orchid_ ’ because of the labellum of each flower that mimicked the shape of a naked male; another name for it was the ‘ _Italian orchid_ ’.”

“It’s kinda anatomically correct,” She mused, pointing to a part of the picture. “That would be a big dick for its size though – I mean, if that were a life-size man, its cock would be down to its kneecaps.”

“It varies from flower-to-flower,” He stated, though he was smiling too. “But that’s an intriguing way of looking at it, I suppose. It would be interesting to see if it could grow here, under the conditions of Origae-6, but we didn’t bring seeds for this particular plant.”

It didn’t escape Walter’s notice that Daniels’ hand drifted down to his thigh, squeezing gently. “It would have been hilarious to walk around and see flowers shaped like naked men,” She chuckled softly. “But probably distracting too – it’d probably make people think about sex or something, seeing that.”

“Are you thinking about sexual activity, having seen a picture of it?” He asked seriously.

She laughed now, properly, and leaned in closer. “Honestly? Yeah, I am – but I was thinking about sex before I even got in the shower.”

“I see. So,” His voice dropped slightly to a tone that made a coil of arousal spiral through her. “I am right in assuming that you would like to have sex tonight?”

“Well, I’d have put it in a more romantic way,” Daniels huffed good-naturedly, and her hand was now drifting over to his crotch. “But yeah, you’re right in assuming that…only if you’re not too busy studying your plants, that is.”

Walter tilted his head at her teasing tone, slowly closing his book and moving to put it down on the table beside the bed. “I’m certainly not too busy studying plants – I would much rather study you.”

“Oh God,” She laughed, wrinkling her nose as she cupped his face with her free hand. “That’s an awful pick-up line – did you hear that from Tennessee?”

“Yes. I won’t use it again.”

“Yeah, please don’t.”

And then she closed the distance between them with a kiss, her hands carding through his hair; she groaned when his tongue slipped into her mouth, his hands gripping her hips. Wasting no time, she pulled at his hoodie to urge him to move over her, letting her legs fall open so he could fit between them; according to previous data, her tugging at his clothing indicated that she wished for him to remove it, and so he hurriedly lifted the garment over his head alongside his t-shirt before leaning down once more to kiss her.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Daniels murmured against his mouth, hands running over his bare skin; his entire body was warm beneath her fingertips, so incredibly human and real.

Walter pressed a series of kisses to her throat, keeping his eyes open and on her. “May I undress you, Danny?” He asked, voice soft.

“You better,” She joked breathlessly.

Immediately he removed the cotton shirt she wore to bed, lifting it over her head and throwing it aside; he would retrieve it later, once their activities were finished – humans weren’t fond of stopping during sexual intercourse to pick up clothing, as he had discovered. She had worn no bra underneath, and now she was left in a pair of boxer shorts that he realized belonged to him.

“This is mine,” He stated, rather matter-of-fact as he brushed his fingers over the waistband.

Daniels grinned, eyes shining. “Yeah, it is – is that a problem?”

“No,” Walter said seriously. “I have found that I enjoy the sight of you in my clothes, though I’m unable to say why exactly. In any case, I’m going to remove them – is that acceptable?”

“More than acceptable,” She agreed fondly, and she wriggled slightly as he pushed the underwear down her legs.

There was no more talk of underwear or plants, the two of them soon rather occupied with something much more exciting.

* * *

 

To say that she was surprised to find a child in the terraforming area of the colony was an understatement; when Daniels had approached one of the vehicles and seen a small head just barely visible through the window, she’d been both bewildered and taken aback because usually children didn’t come anywhere near the terraforming equipment – it was usually classed as too dangerous for them.

The child was a little girl, who smiled nervously at the sight of an adult and cautiously opened the door to step out. “I’m-I’m sorry, Miss Daniels,” She said politely – her voice was tinged with worry too – as her short legs struggled to reach the step down. “I know ‘m not supposed to be in here, but the boys were laughing at me ‘cause I said I wanna be a terraforming-person when I grow up – they said it’s not what girls do.”

Surprise fading, Daniels grinned and offered the girl her hand. “Don’t listen to them – tell them from me that girls are better at terraforming, and I’m the expert so I know.” For some reason, she couldn’t remember the girl’s name – she never could differentiate between the children in the colony for some reason, their names and faces mixing up most of the time. “So… You want to go into terraforming?”

“Uh-huh!” The girl said excitedly, taking the woman’s hand and jumping down. “My daddy said that it means growing food and making sure everything can live properly, so I wanna do that…I used to want to be a fairy princess, but then I learnt about terraforming, and it’s way cooler.”

She wasn’t sure she’d define terraforming as ‘cool’, but it made her chuckle all the same. “I see. Well, you’re welcome to ask me any questions about it whenever you want – if there’s one thing I know anything about, it’s terraforming.”

The child looked thrilled. “That’s so awesome! You’re really cool, Miss Daniels, you know that? Some people say you and Mr Walter are weird, but I think you’re both pretty great for grown-ups!”

It didn’t surprise Daniels that this little girl knew Walter – _all_ of the children in the colony knew Walter, of course. “You like Walter, huh? Yeah, he’s really great-”

“Walter is amazing,” The girl breathed, lighting up. “He tells the best stories, and he plays games with us, and he knows _everything_ – he’s so smart and kind and awesome! Everyone likes Walter!

Hearing the girl talk about her lover so excitedly made Daniels’ heart warm in her chest, a rather ridiculous grin on her face. How could Walter not see how much the children on Origae-6 adored him? It was so painfully obvious that they loved him, any idiot could have seen it – he wasn’t an idiot, and yet he didn’t see it. It was upsetting that his own view of himself seemed to be so low that he couldn’t even realize the obvious – whoever had programmed that into him back on Earth deserved a swift kick up the ass, at the very least.

Brushing that thought aside, she found herself focusing on the chattering girl instead; at least the topic of conversation was one she could actually understand and contribute to, and it didn’t take long for her to grow comfortable talking about terraforming to the small girl.

* * *

 

Usually Walter arrived to work earlier than Daniels, setting things up for the day ahead whilst the humans slowly started on their own tasks for the day, still groggy and tired; however, his lover had set out early in order to check on various pieces of equipment. Her sleep had been disturbed by what appeared to be strange dreams, he’d noticed, and so it hadn’t been surprising that she’d been up early and excused herself after breakfast. He wished he could help, more than anything, but he didn’t know what he could possibly do – he had already asked her what her dreams were about, but she’d denied to answer them.

The terraforming area appeared to be empty when he got there that morning, whistling to himself quietly and studying the various items of machinery; everything seemed to be in order, untouched since the previous day when they’d been used, and everything looked perfectly safe for use. He would be sure to keep alert, however, just in case of a malfunction – for safety.

Two voices reached him after a few minutes, and Walter ceased whistling immediately; judging by the pitch and tone, one of the voices was a child. Silently moving closer, he recognized the child’s voice to be that of a little girl named Bella, aged seven years and ten months old; he registered the second voice immediately, and he grinned – he would recognize Daniels’ voice anywhere.

“…So I was in charge of all the food we grew when we first got here,” He heard his lover explain slowly; most adults were condescending with children, but she didn’t seem to be as she spoke. “I’m still in charge of making sure we grow enough food, and with making sure the environments around the colony are safe for habitation.”

“That’s so cool!” Bella said in awe; he could now see them behind a truck of some kind. “You’re the reason everyone got to eat and why everyone’s alive, right? ‘Cause you were the captain on the ship too!”

“Well…sort of. I mean, I was captain for most of the journey,” Daniels stated carefully, deciding it was best not to mention what happened to the other captains. “But I was asleep for most of it; the real one you should be thanking is Walter. He kept all of us alive, doing checks on everyone’s sleep pods and making sure the ship was on course – we’d have gotten nowhere without him.”

While flattered, Walter couldn’t help but muse that she was speaking far too kindly about him; it had been his duty to look after the crew and colonists, and it had been a day-to-day routine that a human would have found tedious. Even so, Bella sounded impressed when she spoke. “Walter’s so amazing – he’s the best, ‘cause he plays with us and remembers everything! I love playing rounders with him, ‘cause he always gives out chocolates to everyone at the end.”

Not wanting to alert them to his presence or interrupt their conversation, Walter took a small look around the truck; he was aware that some of the other colonists had started to wander over so as to start work, but he couldn’t help himself. Daniels was crouching so that she and the child in front of her were eye-level, grinning and chuckling as they talked; Bella looked ecstatic to be talking to her, bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands together. It was rare that Daniels interacted with the children who inhabited the colony: she had always insisted that she was ‘awful’ with kids, that she was sure they wouldn’t want to be around her anyway – but she had been wrong, he now concluded, because Bella couldn’t have been more thrilled.

As he watched them, he couldn’t help but think about what Daniels had said nearly a month ago; she had been so passionate when asking him about the embryos, and it was clearly something she very much about. He had told her that he’d think about her proposal, and he had been thinking; she hadn’t brought the subject up again since, knowing he would come to her when he had thought it through properly, and he had found himself grateful for that because he didn’t know where to stand on the matter. There was no previous data as to how a synthetic would behave in a parental role – the Walter model came in a ‘Manny’ unit, but that was hardly the same thing as being a full-time parent – and so it was impossible to estimate as to how he would feel or behave towards a child. Granted, he enjoyed the company of all of the children on Origae-6, but it wasn’t the same.

Daniels gave a quiet laugh as Bella held her hand up for a high-five, and she complied immediately; she would make a rather sufficient mother, he thought in an almost absent-minded way, and he could _almost_ envision her with a child of her own. She had said once that she didn’t feel like she would be a good mother, but he had to disagree.

Watching them, Walter found it surprisingly easy to come to a conclusion on what to do.

* * *

 

They had been curled up in bed, Daniels wrapped around her lover while he read a book with one hand silently; she had felt calm, safe and warm with him, and ready to drift off when she heard his voice in the darkness.

“You were right,” Walter said softly. “I have considered what you said, and I’ve made my decision… I would like for us to have a baby, should you still agree.”

She jolted up to look at him, mouth falling open in astonishment; suddenly she felt completely awake. “What? Say that again.” When he looked confused, her mouth curled into a smile. “I wanna hear you say it again – just so I know it’s for real.”

“I said that you were right,” He repeated, more firmly this time. “I have thought and considered the arguments you gave, and come to the conclusion that I would like for us to have a baby, should you still want to.”

Walter had barely finished his sentence before Daniels was kissing him, a jubilant laugh bubbling out of her and against his mouth as they held each other. “You want this?” She questioned when she separated for air, hardly daring to believe it. “You do actually want this? You’re not just saying it to make me happy or anything?”

“I don’t often want things,” He mused seriously. “But this is something I’ve decided – realized –  I want, yes.”

Suddenly his lover was kissing him again, joyful and looking somewhat close to tears – he assumed the tears were of the happy kind, given that this was good news. “I love you,” She muttered breathlessly, her hands roaming over his body. “We’re gonna do this…we’re actually gonna do this.”

As her hands pulled at his shirt, Walter tilted his head at her, expression bemused. “I’m assuming the reason you want intercourse is celebratory – I cannot actually impregnate you.”

“Yes, it’s to celebrate,” Daniels huffed fondly, unable to stop herself from grinning. “Having said that…wouldn’t hurt to try the _natural_ way anyway, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S HAPPENING GUYS!
> 
> I hope you’re all enjoying it so far – it’s about to get SUPER angsty and then SUPER fluffy, so prepare yourselves! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me so long to update! I promise, I'll be updating more often from now on!

Unsurprisingly, breakfast the following morning was a bright and cheerful affair; Walter was pleased to see that Daniels was beaming as she drank her morning coffee, talking excitedly while he finished making the food. It seemed appropriate, given the decision they had come to the night before, that this breakfast should be at least somewhat special, and so he had made her pancakes; he was feeling so jovial that he was considering eating some himself, if only to join his lover and celebrate with her.

“…So, we’re gonna have to talk to the doctors then,” Daniels thought aloud, and a smile was curling at her lips. “There’s probably going to be forms and stuff to fill out before, just to make sure we understand all the small details, but then it’ll just be getting the treatment to work…”

“Usually couples are married before they procreate,” Walter mused as he took his seat, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes fondly. “But then, I suppose that we are not what some might consider a ‘normal’ couple.”

“Normal is overrated,” She said with a grin, and she reached across the kitchen table to take his hand. “I like our way of doing things much better.”

While it wasn’t news they wanted the entire colony to know just yet – there wasn’t even a baby to speak of at the moment – it still seemed only right to inform Tennessee of their decision, considering the fact that he was their closest friend. He was someone they both knew they could trust with anything, including their own lives, and he wouldn’t spread the information around.

That, and the fact he knew something was up when he saw the looks on their faces.

“You look like you’ve won some kind of jackpot,” Tennessee had stated, looking between at them suspiciously. “You know, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a shit-eating grin on your face, Walter.”

Walter looked puzzled. “I have not eaten ‘shit’,” He said seriously. “And I don’t think anyone would grin if they did.”

“It’s an expression,” Daniels chuckled, shaking her head at the two of them. “No, you’re right – we’ve got something to tell you.”

Tennessee’s reaction had been rather amusing: at first he had laughed, thinking they were kidding or trying to pull a joke on him – when it became apparent that this wasn’t the case, he had been stunned into silence, something the synthetic had never seen before. He had grinned when Daniels finished explaining, giving her a long hug before turning to Walter and clapping a hand to his shoulder.

“Congrats, buddy!” He said cheerfully. “Didn’t think you’d have it in you – literally.”

“That’s not how it’s working, and you know it,” Daniels huffed, but she wasn’t annoyed: instead, she was smiling quite happily. “Thanks, Tee. You won’t tell anyone, right? We’ve still got some things to sort out first, and the last thing we want is colonists asking any questions.”

“Course not, Danny,” Tennessee promised, and they both knew he was telling the truth. “You just keep me updated, alright? Let me know when shit actually starts to happen.”

She nodded her head, and there was a somewhat mischievous sparkle in her eye. “You got it. After all, we wouldn’t want _Uncle Tee_ to miss out on anything.”

Walter was slightly confused by this: considering the fact that Tennessee was not either his brother or Daniels’, the baby wouldn’t be his niece or nephew. Perhaps humans used the term ‘Uncle’ more generally than that – maybe it was simply a term of affection, perhaps so that the baby would have some sort of relationship with Tennessee. He would have to ask Daniels about it at a later time, he decided.

Judging by how misty-eyed Tennessee looked at Daniels’ words, however, Walter could tell that his assumption was probably correct anyway.

* * *

 

There were several doctors who specialised in fertility, and they were the ones who dealt with the treatments that involved embryos or similar – in short, they were the ones to speak to.

“If memory serves,” Walter said quietly a few days later, as they walked to the recently built hospital where their appointment would be. “Embryonic implantation is only ever considered an option if a couple are infertile and completely incapable of having a child naturally.”

Daniels shrugged. “Well, we _are_ incapable of doing it naturally, aren’t we? It’ll be fine,” She assured him, though he knew she was secretly anxious. “We’ll just explain, and they’ll understand; I mean, I’m pretty sure the colonists who don’t have partners have used embryos or something, right? We’re just worrying about nothing.”

“I’m not worrying,” He denied. “I am…concerned. Apprehensive.”

“Call it what you want, I know you’re worrying,” She stated, a teasing grin on her face. “You’re allowed to be worried…I kinda am too.”

Even though she was trying to remain optimistic, Daniels couldn’t help but feel somewhat anxious; this was the future of their family, their only way of having a child of their own, and she wanted everything to go smoothly. A part of her couldn’t help but muse that _nothing_ ever seemed to go smoothly for them, at least not often; the thought only made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

Doctor Roberts was a rather old and grey man who had had a long career in natal and embryonic health back on Earth; he was the most senior doctor on Origae-6, with the greatest knowledge, and a figure that many colonists looked up to in some way or another. He was also a figure that Daniels felt herself uneasy around for some reason; whenever she had seen him around the colony, he was stern and closed off, difficult to read – the fact that he was the one responsible for whether or not she and Walter were able to have children only added to her nerves.

He had called them into his office almost immediately, looking only vaguely surprised to see the synthetic entering his office but saying nothing. Once they were all settled, he took a moment to study the both of them over the top of the glasses; Daniels couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable, though she held his gaze unflinchingly all the same.

Finally, the doctor leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. “Alright, Mrs Branson, what can I do for you today?”

Suddenly, she found herself lost for words; she had planned what she would say for days, going over and over it in her head like a mantra – and it all disappeared now that she was on the spot face-to-face with an actual doctor who specialized in these things.

Thankfully, Walter seemed to understand what her silence meant, and he straightened up in his seat with a polite smile. “Daniels and I have been discussing the possibility of having children,” He informed the doctor, straight to the point. “As you may be aware, I am incapable of procreating in the way humans do, and so it would be impossible for us to have a child in the natural way – in this case, intercourse.”

She couldn’t help her cheeks from burning bright red at his choice of phrase; yes, it was best to get to the point, but saying it like _that_ seemed a little forward. Doctor Roberts seemed to be thinking along the same lines, judging by how his eyebrows shot up.

“However, after several conversations, we have concluded that our best chance to have a child would be for us to use an embryo that was kept in cryosleep during our journey from Earth to Origae-6,” Walter continued, unaware of their reactions. “We wanted to ask for your assistance as you are the expert on embryonic and natal health.”

“I…I see.” The doctor still looked somewhat taken aback. “Well, I suppose that, yes, that would most likely be the best chance for you both to…have a child.” He looked between them, slightly disapprovingly, and frowned. “As far as I am aware, Mrs Branson, you are a healthy young woman still – it should be more than easy for you to have a child naturally with a fellow member of the colony-”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Daniels huffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Walter just told you that we want a child _together_ ; we know that it’s not possible to do that naturally, so we’re asking about the embryos.”

Doctor Roberts still looked rather unimpressed, as if he were judging her. “You’ll have to forgive me, ma’am, for being puzzled; I, myself, cannot see the benefit of having an intimate relationship with a synthetic being, or in having such an attachment to it – the idea seems slightly one-sided to me.”

Anger burned through her, hot and fiery. “ _He_ has a name,” She said tersely, and Walter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “ _His_ name is Walter.”

“I apologize,” The doctor said, not sounding terribly sorry at all as he glanced between them both. “Well, if you’re both sure that this is something you would like to pursue together-”

“It is,” Daniels interrupted flatly.

His frown returned, but he didn’t attempt to argue or persuade her otherwise. “In that case, you’ll have to undergo some tests then, Mrs Branson, just as a precaution to be sure that you are indeed healthy enough if we go through with the implantation. In the meantime, we’ll also start monitoring your cycle to pinpoint when exactly will be the best time to attempt it, should your tests come back clear. I can book you in for them as early as next week, if you wish.”

“Yes, as early as you can,” Daniels agreed, eyes still slightly narrowed at him.

When they left the doctor’s office, it was obvious that she was still annoyed; Walter was silent as they made their way back to their cabin, falling into step quietly behind her. It was only once the cabin was in sight that she slowed down, shoulders slumping but fists clenched.

“What an ass,” She seethed to her lover, shaking her head. “Next time we go back, I’m asking for a different doctor to take over – I don’t care if he _is_ the expert, I’m not having him judging us for nine months over this…”

It suddenly occurred to her that Walter hadn’t spoken at all in the doctor’s office, not since Doctor Roberts had openly given his disapproval, and her anger melted away as she looked at him. It saddened – but didn’t surprise – her to see that he was clearly disheartened, even though he was trying to hide it.

“Hey, ignore him,” Daniels said firmly, taking his hand. “He’s just an ignorant asshole who doesn’t know any better. Fuck him. Just think, we could have a baby by next year – _our_ baby.”

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “I know, Danny. I was merely thinking about what the doctor said-”

“Well, don’t,” She told him, giving his fingers a squeeze. “The doctor’s an idiot who doesn’t know shit about anything – at least, not about anything that really counts. Let’s just forget about him now; just think, Walter, if those tests all go well next week, we’ll be another step closer to having a baby…to being a family.”

His face noticeably lit up at her words, despite the nagging thoughts in his mind. “Yes, that’s true – I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right about these things,” Daniels joked, leading him up the path to their cabin. “Don’t overthink it, Walter: this is something to be happy about!”

“I _am_ happy,” Walter agreed, and she noticed that his voice was suddenly softer. “I’m very happy, Daniels, more than I thought possible.”

It was true, there was technically no baby yet to speak of – at least, not _really_ , just frozen embryos stored somewhere – but the idea of it was more than enough to send a thrill though him. He looked at Daniels, considering what she would be like as a mother, remembering how he had seen her interacting with small children in the colony, and it was enough to make a burst of happiness run through his body.

Small thoughts were still nagging and pressing at him, however, and they had been even before their appointment that afternoon; he still worried about whether or not he would be a sufficient parental figure to a child, whether or not the child would hate him after realizing what he was – that he was not human, that he was not the same. He already knew that some members of the colony would not approve, and it was possible that their opinions would impact how a child felt.

But now wasn’t the time to indulge those thoughts – after all, he reminded himself, there was still a long way to go before a baby would arrive, what with the tests, procedures and the gestation itself beforehand. Instead, he filed those thoughts away – he could deal with them another day, closer to the time where they would be relevant – and focused on that burst of happiness inside of him as he and his lover returned to the cabin.

* * *

 

It wasn’t particularly surprising that the tests came back with good results – Daniels was, after all, a young and healthy woman, Walter had reminded himself, but he would have been lying if he’d said that he wasn’t at least somewhat relieved; not only did it mean the treatment could go ahead, but it also assured him that there was no need to worry about her health, about the possibility of any underlying health conditions. Daniels had looked relieved too, he’d noticed – he didn’t want to consider what her reaction would have been if the tests _hadn’t_ come back clean, if it turned out that they couldn’t go through with the procedure.

There were a few forms to be signed, including a consent form to confirm that they understood what the treatment would involve and that the doctors were within their rights to halt it if a severe problem occurred. The doctor – a different one to the one they had seen before – waited patiently as Daniels read and signed the papers, giving her a polite (if slightly tight) smile when she returned them to him; his eyes flicked over to Walter, and after a moment of hesitation he slid the papers and a pen to him. “As you’re to be the… _father_ , it would be best if you signed too.”

The synthetic was admittedly surprised – he hadn’t expected them to need his consent, to even consider his presence – but politely smiled before studying the forms; everything seemed to be in order, he noted to himself, and he signed his name beside Daniels’ and handed the clipboard back. He felt his lover slide a hand into his, and he knew that she was excited by the way she squeezed his fingers, the bright smile on her face that made him feel rather delighted.

“Everything seems to be in order,” The doctor informed them, leaning back in his chair. “Now, as for when the procedure will actually begin, it would be best to give it a few weeks; we’ll need to discuss and monitor your cycle,” He said, nodding to Daniels. “Just to establish when the optimum time would be. The window of ovulation is only two or three days, so we have to be precise as to when we do it in order to ensure a better chance of impregnation.”

Walter already knew this, Daniels thought to herself fondly; she’d seen him reading books on the topic over the past week, wanting to be prepared for what was to come. It made her feel slightly less nervous, knowing that he had sufficient understanding – perhaps more so than many of the doctors even.

“Sometimes it can take a few tries for the treatment to properly take,” The doctor continued, now completely focusing on Daniels. “Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t happen immediately – unless any sudden problems occur, whether in your health or in the treatment, we can assume that it _will_ happen eventually.”

Yes, this process was slower than ‘the natural way’, Daniels mused to herself, but as she looked over at Walter and saw the undisguised excitement lighting up his face, the joy he couldn’t hide, she knew it would be more than worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, next chapter is going to be way more angsty, I promise!
> 
> Please feel free to leave me your thoughts! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really very sorry.
> 
> This is the second chapter posted this week - check out Chapter 6 if you haven't already!

Things moved somewhat quicker than expected, and it was just a few weeks later that the first attempt was done; they had to wait a few days before attending a scan, where the doctors would confirm if it had indeed worked or not, and the wait was – in short – agonizingly painful. Both of them tried to distract themselves in the meantime, continuing work and all other normal routine – but it was still on both of their minds.

For Daniels, she couldn’t help but wonder – what if it had worked? The doctors had told her it could take a few tries, granted, but there was still the chance it _had_ – that in nine months, she and Walter could have a baby. She wasn’t sure whether she was more excited or frightened by the thought, if she was being honest; it was a mix of both, for reasons she didn’t want to address – not yet, at least.

Despite trying to maintain a calm façade, it was ridiculously obvious that Walter was occupied by similar thoughts too; he was somewhat anxious to discuss it, mostly because there was little use in talking about it if it wasn’t certain yet. However, even those rational thoughts couldn’t stop him from looking closer at his lover, couldn’t stop his mind from wondering if she was indeed already carrying a child; the thought sent a rather pleasant tingle through all of his circuits, and he couldn’t quite place why the idea appealed to him so much.

On the morning of the scan, as they made their way back towards the doctor’s office, they were both silent – even without saying anything, it was clear that they were nervous at what the outcome would be. It was only as they neared the door that Daniels stopped walking, taking Walter’s hand and gnawing on her lip.

He stopped walking, puzzled. “Danny? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” She said, voice quiet. “It’s just…it’s stupid, but if it…if it _didn’t_ work-”

“Then there will be more attempts,” He reminded her, tilting his head.

Daniels looked down at the ground, and he could see that she was struggling to say what she wanted to. “I know. I’m being ridiculous, but I was just…if it hasn’t worked, you’re not going to…you know.” Her cheeks were flushed. “Hate me.”

“I don’t understand,” Walter said, frowning as he took a step closer. “I cannot see any reason as to why I would hate you.”

“Like I said, it’s stupid,” She muttered, shaking her head. “I was just worrying about nothing – I dunno, I just thought it might be like I…failed.”

“Oh. I think I understand.” His fingers squeezed hers tightly. “Danny, if it has not worked, it would be illogical to blame you because it’s dependent on a number of factors; there is your monthly cycle, the health of the embryo even before implantation… These are things out of your control, so blaming you for it would be implausible.”

Despite herself, Daniels gave a relieved smile. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just getting worked up about it, you know? I…I really want this to work.”

He was silent, considering what she had said, before giving a nod in agreement. “I know, Danny.” Walter’s voice was much softer now, and he averted his gaze. “I want this to work too.”

* * *

 

It hadn’t worked.

The doctor who saw them didn’t seem particularly concerned, cheerfully reminding them that it rarely worked the first time and then making another appointment to attempt again. If he saw the disappointed looks on their faces, he didn’t comment.

Walter noticed that Daniels was withdrawn as they walked back to their cabin, and he reached out to take her hand again; humans found comfort in contact most of the time, and this seemed like an appropriate situation for it. When she still didn’t say anything, he forced a smile onto his face and began to speak in a reassuring tone.

“There’s a higher probability that it will work next time; the doctor said that there is more data to rely on now, given that he has been able to monitor your hormone levels over the past few weeks, and it will help them pick an optimum time to implant an embryo.”

“I know,” She sighed, not looking at him. “I didn’t think it was going to work this time, to be honest, but still…I kinda hoped anyway.”

He had too, but he decided not to mention that to her in case it upset her further. “It won’t take long for it to work,” He said instead, though he couldn’t know this for sure. “The doctors have said that you’re healthy and fit, so it’s likely to be soon.”

She sighed again but lifted her head and gave a half-hearted smile. “You’re probably right,” She decided. “No use in being miserable over it, I guess – it won’t change anything. Thanks, Walter.”

Walter didn’t think that anything he had said was particularly helpful in any way, but he grinned all the same. “I’m glad to help. For now, it would be best to rest your body – putting strain on yourself, whether physical or emotional, will not help.”

“You just want an excuse to make me dinner again,” Daniels accused, and she felt slightly better; bantering with him (or Tennessee, for that matter) always put her in good spirits.

His lips twitched, and he found himself chuckling quietly under his breath. “That is true – after your attempts to cook last night, I think it best to prevent you from entering the kitchen again in the near future.”

* * *

 

The second month yielded no results either.

Neither of them spoke until they reached their cabin, barely even looking at each other; it was only when Walter had taken her coat and placed it on a coat peg near the door with his own that he heard the unmistakable sound of a sniffle. Alarm bells sounded in his head, and he immediately moved to sit on the couch where she was perched.

“Danny…”

“I’m fine,” She dismissed, wiping her eyes. “I’m _fine_.”

He hesitated before moving closer and putting an arm around her. “You’re allowed to be sad, Daniels, that it didn’t work. It will work eventually, but it is disappointing when it doesn’t, of course.”

“I’m being stupid,” She mumbled, but she leaned into his touch all the same. “I just…I _hoped_.”

“I hoped too,” Walter admitted. “We can hope that it happens next month instead – the doctor has already approved of another attempt.” He paused, and when he spoke again his voice was gentle. “Of course, if you would rather wait another month, that would be understandable.”

Daniels shook her head immediately. “No, no, I don’t want to wait another month – the sooner the better.”

They sat in silence, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her comfortingly; later he would make hot chocolate for her and light the fire so that they could curl under a blanket together in the warmth, letting her body sag against his own. They wouldn’t speak of embryos, babies or treatments, instead leaving the topic for another night. For now, however, they were both content to just sit in silence, arms around each other and a shared pain that needed no words.

* * *

 

The third attempt was just as unsuccessful.

Once they had returned to the cabin, Daniels had fled to the upstairs bathroom, saying she needed a shower; Walter had let her go, deciding that she needed time alone to deal with her misery, and set about making dinner. She would not want to eat, he knew, but he would insist – it was important that she remain healthy, for herself if nothing else.

Half an hour later, he listened to the sounds of the cabin to see if she had finished showering; it suddenly occurred to him that the shower hadn’t even been turned on since they’d returned home.

 Walter found her upstairs in their shared bedroom, curled up and staring miserably at the wall; when he entered, her eyes flickered to him and glistened.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no need to apologize,” He reminded her, slowly sitting on the side of the bed. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Daniels looked away, exhaling deeply and trying not to cry again. “What if…What if I’m too old?”

“Danny-”

“What if I missed my chance?” She whispered, and she was now staring at the wedding ring on her finger. “What if that’s why it’s not working?”

Walter felt a pang run through him, an unpleasant feeling that he didn’t particularly like, as he glanced at the ring she was staring at. “You’re not too old,” He said finally. “There are mothers in the colony who had children when they were older than you are now. If you _were_ too old, the doctors would not allow you to continue the treatment.”

“I guess.”

He looked away, and he suddenly realized that he was feeling far too much, far more than he should have been capable of feeling; sadness, regret – even _guilt_. “I’m sorry, Danny,” He murmured to her. “If I were a human, I would be able to impregnate you through intercourse, and you would not have to worry about appointments or tests. It would happen naturally.” He hesitated. “If your husband were still here…”

Daniels sat up, frowning at him. “Hey, don’t. It’s not the same, and you know it.”

“If he were still alive, you would not be with me,” Walter stated. “And you would presumably not be having to endure this every month.”

“ _If_ he were still alive…he’s not,” She said, somewhat tersely; after a moment, she seemed to soften. “Walter, I don’t want you to be him; I want you to be you, and that’s it.” She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to get through to him. “You were right before; it’ll happen eventually, I’m just…it sucks when I get my hopes up and it doesn’t happen. But we’ll get there eventually.”

Her hand slipped into his, warm and soft, and he couldn’t help but feel somewhat reassured by it. “Yes, we will.”

* * *

 

They agreed in the days between the fourth treatment and the scan that if it didn’t work, then they would take a short break; it was tiring and upsetting to go through the routine of it every month and being stressed was doing no favours in any way. It was November now, and so if it didn’t work this time then they would wait until after the Christmas holidays to try again – it was a reasonable plan, they decided.

Truthfully, both of them had expected the same thing to happen again – it was what usually happened, after all – and they’d tried not to get their hopes up. As they sat in the doctor’s office, waiting for the scan to load, they prepared for the worst.

But then the doctor grinned, looking extremely pleased. “Aha.”

“Aha?” Daniels repeated cautiously. “What does that mean?”

The doctor’s eyes were twinkling as he gestured to the screen before them. “It means that it’s worked. I think congratulations are in order for you both!”

Walter stared at the screen, immediately taken aback. “That is…a baby?”

“Not just ‘a baby’,” The doctor said jovially. “ _Your_ baby.” Seeing that they were both stunned and speechless, he started to point to the different parts of the scan. “That little blob there is it – a healthy embryo, already starting to grow; if you squint, you’ll be able to just see that this part _here_ is the head. Everything appears to be going smoothly, the embryo has implanted perfectly… Congratulations!”

Neither of them spoke, instead entirely focused on the small screen. Sensing that they were both overwhelmed and shocked, he gave them a polite smile and stood.

“This is a very emotional moment, I’m sure; I’ll give you both a minute or so alone – after all, this is something very special, and I can imagine that you’d like some privacy.”

The door clicked shut as the doctor left, leaving the two of them alone with the picture on the screen. Daniels found herself beaming, unable to hold it in, as she gently pressed a hand to her abdomen; her eyes were glistening with tears, this time of a more joyful kind.

“That’s it,” She said weakly. “That’s the baby – our baby.”

Walter’s hand slipped into her free one, and when she looked at him she realized – with some surprise – that he was close to tears himself. “It looks perfectly healthy,” He stated quietly. “Perfection is impossible, I know, but…but it _is_ perfect.”

There was no shame when a few tears rolled down her face, only absolute happiness. “That’s ours,” She reiterated, and a laugh bubbled out of her suddenly. “Jesus, that’s _ours_!”

Walter was grinning widely as he looked between her and the screen, squeezing her hand tightly. “That’s ours,” He repeated, as if unable to believe it. “That is our baby…I love you, Danny.”

Daniels chuckled tearfully, happier than she could ever remember being before. “I know. I love you too, Walter; I love you so much.”

* * *

 

Tennessee was the first person they told, of course – it seemed only fair, given that he was their closest friend, the one person they knew they could trust with anything. They invited him over to the cabin that evening, excited to share the news with him and still somewhat disbelieving that it was real; he greeted them cheerfully, accepting the beer Daniels offered him and not even realizing that she didn’t have one herself until they were all sat by the fire.

“You feelin’ okay?” He asked, somewhat surprised.

“I’m fine,” She agreed, unable to keep the grin from her face. “Actually, Tee, we’ve got something we wanted to tell you.”

He glanced between them, visibly confused. “Uh…Alright, sure. Nothing too serious though, right?”

“Well, it depends on what you mean by serious,” She laughed, taking her lover’s hand. “Nothing bad, Tee, we promise.”

Tennessee listened as she started to describe what had happened at the appointment (Walter adding in details with a rather pleased smile), nodding along with her story – and then his jaw dropped, eyes wide.

“You’re… You’re not shittin’ me?” He asked, standing up and looking between his friends. “I’m tellin’ you, Danny, if you’re tryin’ to pull the wool over my eyes-”

“I’m not,” Daniels chuckled, standing up too. “We’re serious; the doctor said that, by summer next year, we’re gonna be parents.”

“Holy fuckin’ shit, you’re actually doing it!” Suddenly he was enveloping her in a large bear hug, laughing jovially along with her. “Congratulations, Danny! And you too, Walter,” He looked over Daniels’ shoulder at the synthetic. “Get your ass up here so I can hug you too!”

Slightly bemused, Walter allowed Tennessee to pull him into the hug and grinned. “Thank you, Tennessee – we’re both very pleased.”

“Yeah, I bet you are! Jesus, does this mean I’m gonna be an uncle?”

“Of course,” Daniels agreed, rather fondly. “Walter and I wouldn’t have you be anything less, Tee – you’re our best friend. Besides, someone’s gotta babysit so we can have time to ourselves every now and then.”

At the wink she sent him, Tennessee howled with laughter. “Figures that I’m gonna be on diaper duty so you two can get it on!”

Even though he was laughing and joking as usual, it was obvious that her words had touched him; the shine in his eyes was hard to miss, as was the way his voice cracked later that evening when he decided to make a toast to them (“and the space-monkey,” he added with a glance at Daniels’ stomach; she merely rolled her eyes and raised her glass of soda to clink with the beer bottles both men were drinking from). There was no doubt that Tennessee was thrilled for them, almost as thrilled as they were already, as they talked late into the night and celebrated.

As Walter watched his lover and their friend making wise-cracks about babies and parenthood, he couldn’t help but feel inexplicably happy; even after reminding himself that there would be a nine month wait for the baby to arrive, that it was still too early to discuss a nursery or similar items a baby would need, he couldn’t help it. It went against a number of protocols instilled in Weyland-Yutani synthetics – they were not supposed to love, not supposed to have emotions, certainly not want a life like a human might – but he didn’t believe it to be dangerous in any way; there was nothing dangerous in loving Daniels or in feeling joy at the fact that they were to have a child together.

This was not a life he had ever expected to have during all of his time on the Covenant – he had known that he was supposed to be decommissioned upon arrival, once his duties were completed – but it was far better than any life he could have conceived of having.

* * *

 

The next few days were spent in a rather blissful daze that consisted of embraces, kisses, and a number of intimate encounters that ranged from the bed to the kitchen counter (Walter was sure to clean thoroughly afterwards, all too aware of correct food hygiene). Even though it was only early days, it was still exciting and wonderful to _know_ that there was a baby – an actual, physical baby – that was theirs. Several times, Daniels realized her lover was resting a hand on her stomach, gazing adoringly at it despite the fact it was as flat as it always was; the sight made her heart feel warm in her chest, love for him flooding through her again and again.

“It’s really happening,” She would murmur to him, a radiant smile breaking out on her face. “It’s actually going to happen.”

There were already bouts of sickness (as it turned out, morning sickness did not only occur during the morning but at any and all times of the day), and she even thought she was starting to develop a craving for certain foods that she usually avoided, but nothing could take away from the joy, from the excitement.

It was just a week after when a thunderstorm hit; it was nothing to be worried about, Origae-6 usually experienced storms during the later months of the year, and so they thought nothing of it. They went to sleep that night, Walter curling an arm around Daniels as she drifted off; he didn’t need sleep, of course, but he was content to watch her in the dark and contemplate to himself.

After a few hours, Daniels shifted in the bed beside him and rolled onto her other side to face away; he gave her a fond look before deciding he should take the time to recharge and make sure that he was not malfunctioning in any way – just to be on the safe side, after all. He knew that if he was needed, she would ‘wake’ him and let him know.

It was only a mere half an hour later that he realized she was shaking him desperately, and as he regained full consciousness he realized that her voice was _worried_ – an immediate cause for alarm. For a moment, he thought she had perhaps experienced a nightmare, that she merely needed comforting after the horrors of a bad dream – but then, in the dark, he saw the tears glistening on her face, a sob choking her.

“Daniels-”

“I-I…” She was trembling, clutching at him in the dark like she’d never done before. “Walter, I’m…I-I’m _b-bleeding_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO FUCKING SORRY PLEASE DON’T HURT ME


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for the turn this took – it’s been my intention from the start, however. Anyone who’s read my Christmas drabbles for Walter/Daniels will remember that in the last one posted, I mentioned that they were struggling and dealing with a “traumatic” event…and this is what that is. 
> 
> There’ll be happy things again, I promise – but we must deal with the angst before!

When Daniels woke up, her stomach was cramping painfully; she moaned softly as she rolled over in the bed, squeezing her eyes shut and willing the pain away. When it didn’t dissipate, she brought her knees to her chest and curled up in the fetal position; she was starting to wake more now, fully gaining awareness of where she was and what seemed to be happening around her. She could hear rain lashing on the windows still, the storm still raging on Origae-6 from the evening before, and the sound of the cabin creaking quietly as the wind hit it. Exhaustion settled over her, but she couldn’t get back to sleep for some reason – the pain seemed to be getting worse. Wrapping her arms around herself, she buried her face into her pillow and tried to block the feeling out.

As she shifted, trying to get more comfortable, she suddenly felt something sticky and hot between her thighs.

Alarmed, Daniels lifted her head and tried to sit up; immediately she was overwhelmed by the sudden smell of something metallic, and she had to resist the urge to gag. Eyes already adjusting to the darkness in the bedroom, she cautiously pressed a hand to her pyjama bottoms and tried to see something – _anything_ – that might give an explanation as to what was happening. Even in the dark, she could see something staining her pants, a dark colour, and when her fingers brushed the area of her pelvis, she felt the sticky substance start to coat them.

“No…No…”

Panicking, she looked to Walter; his eyes were closed, most likely so he could do a check or update, and he was thus unaware as to her distress. Tears were swimming in her eyes as she reached out for him, trying to ‘wake’ him – he would know what to do, he _had_ to know what to do, this couldn’t happen-

“W-Walter,” She pleaded desperately, shaking him as her stomach turned. “Walter, p-please, something’s wrong…”

It took mere seconds for him to become alert, opening his eyes and searching her face in the dark. “Daniels-”

“I-I…” She choked on a sob, the words stuck in her throat and nearly impossible to force out. “Walter, I’m…I-I’m _b-bleeding_.”

Alarmed, Walter turned on the bedside lamp so that he could see better – and the sight sent a sudden wave of what could only be described as _nausea_ through all of his systems. Daniels looked ill, face pale and drawn, sweat beading on her head and teeth grit in pain as tears rolled down her face; she had one hand to her stomach, almost exactly where he had pressed his hand earlier that evening as they discussed the numerous possibilities of their baby. The fingers of her other hand, he noticed, were shining with blood.

Even though he knew it was hopeless – he already knew it was too late – he was struck by the sudden urge to attempt to stop the bleeding; he could phone a doctor, someone who was willing to visit the cabin, but the storm meant there would be delays, possibly even power-cuts. He had seen this happen before in the colony – not first-hand, admittedly, but he knew the signs and the aftermath – and he knew what was happening.

It seemed that Daniels realized this too, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed and curled in on herself. All Walter could do was attempt to provide comfort for her, carefully wrapping an arm around her and pushing aside the sudden rush of unnecessary emotions that washed over him; his needs weren’t important, not right now – she needed someone to be strong through this, someone to support her.

His own feelings could wait.

* * *

 

Walter called a doctor to their cabin early the next morning – mostly because he wanted to be sure Daniels had no infections or similar, but also admittedly because a small part of him hoped that he had been wrong the night before. When the doctor left the room after seeing to her privately, he gave the synthetic a rather empathetic look before speaking.

“I’m sorry…sometimes these things happen,” The man sighed, shaking his head. “She has no infections, no fever, so there’s nothing to worry about there – if she does start displaying a fever or any other symptoms, don’t hesitate to call one of us or to even bring her to the hospital yourself. Just be sure that she rests for now.”

He didn’t need to say anything else, didn’t need to say the actual word – it was obvious.

Walter didn’t leave her side after the doctor’s visit, of course, wanting to be close at hand if she needed him or if she started to show the signs the doctor had warned him about. As he expected, his lover was extremely distraught, and it was all he could do to hold her while she cried; she slept fitfully throughout the day after crying herself to sleep, curling into the steady temperature of his body and clinging to the fabric of his hoodie – this behaviour didn’t particularly surprise him either.

Just after midday, he left the bedroom to prepare lunch for her; when he brought it up to her, however, she refused it and muttered that she wasn’t hungry. Walter didn’t press further; she was still in pain, judging by how she was curled up with her arms around her stomach, and he knew from research that it could take a few days for the bleeding to stop completely. It was best not to force her, not now: he could try again to get her to eat later.

The rest of the day passed the same way; it hurt him more than he cared to admit that he couldn’t do anything to make his lover feel any better, couldn’t do anything to make her happy – the only thing to do was to allow time to heal and grieve. He pushed his feelings away whenever they threatened to arise, reminding himself that his priority was looking after her and ensuring that he was there for her if she needed him.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Daniels said – something she continued to say, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes. “I’m _so_ sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize, Daniels,” Walter informed her gently, and she buried her face into his side as her shoulders shook. “This happens sometimes – the embryo may not have been healthy enough to begin with, or perhaps it had not implanted correctly like we assumed. Those are usually the reasons, Daniels, and you are not to blame.”

She continued to apologize to him throughout the day, however, and she genuinely seemed to believe that it was her fault – something that caused more unnecessary pain for Walter, much as he didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t deserve to feel so guilty, not on top of the grief and devastation she already felt.

After seven, he tentatively mentioned dinner and asked if she would like something to eat – even a sandwich or toast, just something to feed her. She turned it down, again muttering that she wasn’t hungry. Again, he didn’t press – the last thing that was needed was an argument if he attempted to force her. Instead of dinner, he ran a warm bath for her so that she could feel cleaner; he gently helped her out of bed, to the bathroom, and then carefully helped her undress before stepping into the tub. He didn’t say a word when he picked up her discarded clothes, merely pressing his mouth into a firm line at the red stains as he threw them into the laundry – he would clean them later, and if that failed then he would ask her permission to dispose of them entirely. While she sat in the bath, knees to her chest and staring at the water, Walter returned to the bedroom; the sheets also sported the same red stains, painfully obvious on the white material. He stripped the bed and replaced the sheets quickly, using bedclothes that were old and rarely used – it didn’t matter if those ones got dirty, he decided.

Daniels was still silently sitting in the tub when he returned, an old pair of dark-coloured sweats and a towel in his hands; neither of them spoke as he helped her out again, and he turned his head to give her privacy while she dressed into the clothes he had brought. She quietly thanked him before going back to the bed, immediately curling up beneath the blankets and burying her face into her pillow; she made no noise, but the subtle shake of her shoulders made it clear that she was trying not to cry.

A part of him debated leaving her alone in the bed, giving her some space – perhaps she would not want him there while she was so upset – but when he picked up the pillow from his usual side of the bed, she frowned weakly. “Don’t. Stay, please.”

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” Walter agreed immediately, and he settled into his usual spot – even so, he was sure not to touch her, not to get too close. “If you need me, Daniels, I’m here.”

The night was even more miserable, with Daniels only being able to sleep for a few hours before waking up in pain or in tears. He gently soothed her back into sleep each time, not taking his eyes from her all night; unpleasant feelings started to rise up from within him again, but he forced them away for now – he could deal with them later, but now was not the time to focus on himself. For now, all that mattered was Daniels and making sure she recovered.

* * *

 

Tennessee came to visit a few days later, clutching his hat and looking anxious – a look Walter rarely saw on him. It was no surprise that he had come to visit; he had seemed upset and lost for words when the synthetic had radioed him the news, and he was probably worried for Daniels – the two were good friends, after all.

“How is she?” The larger man asked when Walter met him on the porch, voice low.

He hesitated before deciding that if anyone deserved to know the truth, it was this man. “The bleeding has seemed to stop, but her stomach is still in pain. Emotionally…” His gaze dropped to the floor. “She is devastated. She has been alternating between sobbing, sleeping, and lying in bed whilst staring at the wall.”

“Shit.” Tennessee rubbed a hand over his face, sighing miserably. “Look…Walter, I’m…I’m sorry. This whole situation is fucked up…I’m sorry for you and Danny’s loss. I can’t even imagine how you guys are feeling.”

The synthetic shifted uncomfortably. “I’m focusing on looking after Daniels – her needs and feelings are my priority.”

“I get that,” His friend said. “But it was your baby too – don’t try and give me that ‘I have no feelings’ bullshit,” He added when Walter opened his mouth to protest. “I could tell you already loved this kid, just by how happy you looked after you found out; you’re allowed to be sad ‘bout it too.”

Walter didn’t answer to this – he didn’t quite know what he could say.

Tennessee put on a weak impression of a smile when he saw Daniels, and the synthetic left them to have some time alone – she would be safe with Tennessee, and it was understandable that they might prefer privacy. Instead, he retreated to the greenhouse outside to tend to his plants; if nothing else, it would provide a distraction.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Danny,” Tennessee said quietly, and he had to swallow the lump in his throat as he looked at her; between the dark circles under her eyes and the sudden sallowness in her skin, she looked absolutely exhausted. “I dunno what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything,” She muttered, avoiding his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her friend nodded, looking down at his hat and sighing. “Alright. I just wanted to come by, check up on you and Walter – I know you guys ain’t okay, but…you know. I don’t want you feeling alone either; I got no fucking idea what I can do to help, but I’m here if you guys need me.”

“Right. Thanks.”

“And don’t worry ‘bout work,” He continued seriously. “I’ll take care of it, make sure anything that needs doing gets done – you rest for as long as need be. That goes for Walter too, he needs time away too, I bet.”

Tennessee left shortly after, promising to return in a few days to check up on them again and bring anything they might need; Walter thanked him as he saw him to the door, tone generally pleasant and emotionless. It was only once they were on the porch, out of Daniels’ earshot, that the burly man turned to the synthetic and clapped a hand to his shoulder.

“I really am sorry,” He said carefully. “If you need anything – and I mean anything – you let me know. And, you know, don’t bottle it up,” He added. “I know you, and I know what you’re doing…it doesn’t help. You need to let yourself grieve too, even if you think you don’t – Danny will understand completely.”

“Tennessee-”

“This is something you have to get through together,” Tennessee insisted firmly. “None of that, ‘I don’t need to grieve’ bullshit we talked about earlier – I know you better than that, and so does she. Trust me on this: I think it’ll help _her_ if you grieve too, let her know she’s not alone in how she’s feeling.”

Walter was, admittedly, surprised by this side of the man, even after having known him for so many years; it brought a whole new light to him. He watched as Tennessee walked away, contemplating what he had said and deep in thought; perhaps he was right, but somehow the synthetic couldn’t help but feel that the best thing for now was just allow Daniels this time for her own emotions – his own weren’t nearly as important.

* * *

 

Even once the bleeding stopped and the pain dulled, it still didn’t get any easier.

Though she wasn’t crying nearly as much anymore, Daniels still felt just as awful; the memory refused to leave her, the memory of waking up to find herself bleeding and in pain. That hope and joy she had felt was gone, the excitement at the news that she and Walter could be a family – it seemed so incredibly unfair that this happened to them, given how much they wanted it.

 _It’s all my fault_ , she would think to herself miserably; perhaps she could have done more to stop it from happening, could have done something different – had she put too much strain on herself perhaps? _Was_ there anything she could have done differently? Maybe the baby just didn’t want to be there – didn’t want _her_.

Or, worse, perhaps it was a sign that she wasn’t meant to be a mother after all – a sign that she should give up.

She didn’t tell this to Walter, for she knew he would just calmly tell her it wasn’t true, that it was normal to feel this way, that it wasn’t her fault – and for some reason, it made her angry. How could he be so calm about this? How could he appear so emotionless, so indifferent? What gave him the right to pretend to care, to attempt to coddle her?

After a few days of bottling up this anger, of feeling it simmer and grow, she didn’t even want him to be near her – she couldn’t stand how polite and formal he seemed to be about everything, how condescending it all seemed. It was only when he appeared in the doorway around midday, looking sympathetic as he tilted his head and studied her, asking if she would like lunch that It seemed to boil to a head – it was almost unbearable.

“…I will not force you to eat,” Walter informed her gently. “But I would recommend it as it would be best to keep yourself fed and healthy.” When she said nothing, he frowned and stepped closer. “Daniels, I know you’re upset-”

“ _Upset_ ,” She repeated, almost spitting the word.

Walter looked concerned. “You’re upset,” He continued warily. “I understand, Daniels…I am very upset too.”

“Yeah, right,” Daniels huffed, clenching her fists together. “You’re not upset at all.”

“Of course I am,” He insisted, now worried. “I…I was already very fond of the baby, impossible though it may seem, and I…I feel sadder than I thought I could feel.”

She bristled at his words, suddenly enraged. “How _dare_ you pretend to care?!”

“Daniels, I am not pretending-”

“But you are!” Daniels snapped, eyes suddenly glistening with tears. “You _can’t_ understand at all what it’s like because you’re not even human! You’re a synthetic!”

He grew very quiet, looking down at his feet and shuffling uncomfortably. “You’re being hysterical and not thinking because you’re grieving. I know you don’t mean what you’re saying.”

“I do,” She snarled. “You can’t understand, and you won’t ever understand because you’re…you’re a robot! You’re nothing more than a machine!”

Walter flinched at her words, clearly hurt by them. “Daniels…”

“Just…Just go!” She seethed, turning away from him. “Leave!”

For a moment, there was a pause where neither of them moved or spoke – but then he straightened up, making his way out of the room. “Alright, Daniels, if that’s what you want.”

It was only once she heard the door to the cabin close as he left that she buried her face in her hands and succumbed to her tears.

* * *

 

He wasn’t back the next day.

Daniels woke, feeling guilty about what she had said – how could she say those things? She hadn’t meant it, she would never have meant it; she knew better than anyone that Walter was just like anyone else, that he had emotions and the like. She searched the cabin for him, hoping he may have returned during the night, but found nothing: there wasn’t even any kind of note to say where he might have gone.

“Fuck,” She whispered to herself, ignoring the sting of tears in her eyes.

She waited by the fire for the rest of the afternoon, stare locked on the door and hoping that he would come back; she would apologize for what she said, tell him that she didn’t mean it, that she wasn’t thinking. There was no guarantee that he’d accept her apologies at all, but it was better than nothing.

The longer she waited, however, the more she worried; perhaps he had gone for good? Maybe he had thought she wanted him gone permanently, that she was done with him and their relationship. Daniels swallowed the lump in her throat, mentally belittling herself for being so stupid; the last person who deserved to be treated in that way was her Walter. He already doubted himself so much, and she knew he secretly wondered if she would ever grow tired of him – he had such a low opinion of himself, and she had probably confirmed his worst fears with her outburst.

It was late evening when the door slowly opened; Daniels immediately shot up, relieved when Walter quietly entered the cabin. He glanced at her, surprised to see her waiting for him; for a moment, neither of them spoke, instead staring at each other.

“Daniels,” He said finally. “I was only coming to check on you, to make sure that you were safe…I will go now-”

“No! No, don’t!” She interrupted quickly, standing from her seat. “Please don’t go, Walter…please.”

Walter paused, looking uncertain even as he nodded. “Alright. I’ll stay if that’s what you want.”

They were silent again as they settled in the chairs near the fire, neither of them quite knowing what to say; after debating how to say what she wanted, Daniels cleared her throat and looked up at him. “I’m…I’m so sorry, Walter, for what I said.”

“Daniels-”

“I didn’t mean it,” She insisted, somewhat desperately. “I don’t think that about you at all, and you know I don’t. I was just angry and upset and…and I just hated it, I hated feeling like that, and the only person I could take it out on was you.”

“I understand,” He said gently.

“I was wrong,” She continued, and she had to blink to get rid of the unwanted tears. “You do understand, I know you do, and I should have just asked how you were feeling instead of assuming…you know I don’t think of you as being a…a robot or anything like that. You’re just as human as anyone else, even if you don’t believe it – I know you are.”

`Walter seemed to consider her words, and he appeared somewhat touched by what she said. “That’s kind of you to think, Daniels; I know you don’t view me in that way, even if it is the truth-”

“It’s not, and that’s bullshit,” Daniels stated, and she was suddenly reaching across the space between them to take his hand. “I feel so awful about what I said, it was cruel and stupid and _wrong_ ; I shouldn’t have said it, and if anyone else had told you that…well, I’d have been so fucking mad I’d have probably punched them or something. I was an asshole.”

“You’re not an asshole, Danny.”

She gnawed on her lower lip. “I am. I spent all this time feeling sorry for myself, and I didn’t even _think_ about how you felt…I know you, and I know you probably didn’t say anything because you thought it would make me even more upset, but you should feel able to be honest with me about it.”

“It’s clear you’re grieving heavily, and that can affect behaviour,” He agreed, though it was somewhat half-hearted. “However, you do not need to worry about me; I don’t exactly ‘feel’ any emotions-”

“We both know that’s bullshit,” Daniels said firmly. “Maybe…Maybe it’s not like _I_ feel it, it’s different – but I know you felt something…just like I know you felt just as happy as I did at that scan.”

It was obvious she’d said the right thing; it only took a moment for Walter to squeeze her fingers in his and clear his throat. “Yes, you’re…you’re right,” He admitted, and his shoulders seemed to droop. “I do feel unhappy, Danny, because as implausible as it seems, I did already feel a fondness for the child we could have had; I had thought we would have a baby, that it would be ours, and I allowed myself to feel for it.”

“You loved them, just as much as I did.”

“Yes. And I am upset that we will no longer have this child,” Walter continued. “But I am also saddened because I know it has left you distraught – it upsets me to see _you_ in any kind of pain or distress. That is the worst thing, Danny, knowing that you are in pain and knowing that I cannot do anything to change it. You have already suffered so much loss – your late husband, several of your friends and fellow crew members, even the pain of leaving your father on Earth – and now you have to suffer this loss. It’s…unfair.”

Daniels sighed miserably, staring into the fireplace and watching the flames flicker. “Yeah…it does seem unfair. I guess that’s just life.”

* * *

 

It was a relief to be curled up together once more that night, even if the pain was still raw and it was merely for comfort – it felt somewhat right, some kind of normalcy even in such a difficult time. In the darkness, Walter felt Daniels slip her hand into his as she breathed out, clearly still awake and preparing to talk to him.

“It was your baby too,” She reminded him tentatively after a moment. “I know you don’t want to upset me…but don’t worry about that. Don’t worry. I’m here for you, just like you’ve been here for me. It’s okay to just let yourself go, if that’s what you need – I’m here, Walter.”

And suddenly, he couldn’t help himself – it was as if she had pressed a button or input a command, as simple as that. Turning his face towards her, the tears started to come slowly; he didn’t cry often, it was only in extreme situations, but he couldn’t help it. A few tears rolled down his face, more quickly following, and she seemed to understand completely.

“It’s alright,” Daniels whispered, teary-eyed as she wrapped her arms around him and held him. “I’ve got you, Walter – I’m right here.”

They didn’t say anything else as he continued to cry into her, merely holding each other in the dark and trying to find comfort in the midst of such pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeell that was depressing as fuck.
> 
> I PROMISE they will have their baby; those who have read my other fics know this, but I SWEAR they will. There’s still some healing, but the worst part is over for them – soon they will have such unbelievable happiness and joy, it’ll be nauseating to read!
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still continuing to peddle to keep this ship afloat :’( 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the soul-crushing angst!

He found her out on the porch, staring out at the lake somewhat wistfully as the cool December wind rushed through her hair; she was swamped in one of his hoodies, looking worryingly thin and small despite how tall he knew her to be. Walter hesitated as he approached her, wary of saying anything that might upset her further – the last thing he wanted was to be the cause of more pain.

“Are you feeling alright, Danny?” He asked quietly, stopping a few metres away – not too close, just in case she wanted space.

She shrugged, briefly glancing up at him before shifting on the seat. “Sit with me?”

“Of course.”

As he settled next to Daniels, still cautious of being too close, she sighed and continued to stare out at the lake; it was beginning to freeze over now, though not quite frozen enough for activities such as skating (though he highly doubted she would feel well enough to skate this winter). Their surroundings were peaceful, with not a single noise to be heard other than the wind and the occasional bird as it prepared to fly south.

“I’ve been thinking,” She mumbled, eyes fixed on the sun as it set. “Since…since _it_ happened, I’ve been blaming myself, thinking I could have done something to stop it or…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I was thinking about what you said, and you’re right – I don’t think I could have done anything.”

Walter laid a hand over hers but said nothing, eyes focused on her; she could only lean into him slightly closer, out of the need for body warmth and for comfort.

“It would have been impossible for me to do anything,” Daniels continued ruefully. “Just like how it probably would have been impossible for me to do anything when the other crew members died back on the Covenant…I couldn’t do anything to save Jake.”

“Your husband’s death was due to a random localized event,” He reminded her. “And his pod malfunctioned before the other crew could get him out – so, no, there was nothing you could have done, Danny. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” She agreed sadly. “I know there was nothing I could have done to save Jake…and there was nothing I could have done for the baby either. It wasn’t my fault.”

Her statement hung in the air for a few moments between them, and then she exhaled deeply as her shoulders slumped – it was like a heavy weight being lifted, some deep revelation that somehow helped to ease the pain. Walter slipped an arm around her, holding her close as he gave a small nod in agreement. “It wasn’t your fault, Daniels, I assure you; as I have told you before, there are multiple reasons that it could have happened – all of which were out of anyone else’s control, including yours.”

“It was out of your control too,” Daniels affirmed, rather firmly; when he gave her a surprised look, she frowned sadly. “I know you, Walter – I know you’re probably going over it in your head, thinking you could have done something differently, something that could have stopped it from happening, but…we did the best we could.”

Of course she knew him so well; they had lived together for many years, shared so many intimate things, and it was only to be expected that she knew what his thoughts or feelings on this matter might be. “You’re right, Danny,” He admitted slowly. “I don’t think I could have done anything to change the outcome of what happened, even though I have been feeling as though I could have. It is pointless to continue to think this way.”

“Yeah,” She sighed, and suddenly her weight was sagging against him once more. “Yeah, it is.”

They didn’t speak any more, both of them staring out at the lake instead; somehow, even without saying anything more, it seemed as though they were united – maybe, just maybe, they could get through this together.

* * *

 

Christmas rolled around, as it always did: truthfully, Daniels didn’t feel much like celebrating at all. Even if she was gradually healing and allowing herself time to recover, it seemed inappropriate to celebrate given that such a terrible thing had happened a month before; Walter had insisted, though not pushed her, and reasoned that it might be better if they quietly spent the holiday together – allowing themselves a time to rest and be somewhat distracted.

He didn’t wake her on Christmas morning, instead waiting for her to wake in her own time – she needed to sleep, given how many nights she had stayed awake crying or hurting. It was shortly after ten when she groggily roused herself, muttering a greeting to him and curling in on herself even more.

“Can’t I just stay in bed?” She murmured, not looking at him. “I don’t want…I know you made gifts,” She said, somewhat guiltily, “and I appreciate it, but I don’t think it’ll help.”

“Nothing I’ve made will exactly heal your pain, Danny,” Walter said softly. “But it’s tradition and I felt that it might at least take your mind off of things. I can’t force you. We can get up whenever you’re ready.”

As much as she would have preferred to stay in bed, she knew from experience that it was better to get back into the swing of things – lying around feeling sorry for herself would do nothing to help. With that in mind, Daniels sighed and rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes. “Fine. I’ll get dressed and we can…do whatever.”

When they went downstairs, he made her some coffee before sitting beside her on the couch; she had lost some weight, he noticed, as she looked thinner than usual – admittedly his hoodies were large on her anyway, and she was extremely fit and slim anyway, but it was more noticeable now. She said nothing as she took her coffee, looking down at the drink and remaining silent.

“I made you a few presents,” Walter informed her after a few minutes. “You don’t have to open them, it’s understandable if you don’t feel up to it-”

“I’ll open them,” Daniels interrupted quietly, putting her coffee down and moving to sit on the floor beside the nearest wrapped gift. ”I’m sorry I didn’t get you a lot…I know you deserve more than two or three gifts, but I just…”

“I don’t mind, Daniels,” He said sincerely. “I am grateful for any gift, and to be spending Christmas with you. That’s all.”

She passed him a few wrapped parcels (mostly books with a new jumper, he later learnt) before picking up one of the ones from him; for ten minutes, she didn’t speak beyond thanking him for the things he had made. He knew she was grateful for the gifts, of course, but grief had made her more lethargic and less enthusiastic; he didn’t judge her for it, for it was only to be expected.

Daniels had finished unwrapping the last gifts and was getting ready to stand when her lover cleared his throat and moved to sit next to her; she shot him a questioning look, confused, but he merely smiled uncomfortably. “I have one more gift, Danny; it’s small, and I did not want it to get lost underneath the tree because it is – in my opinion – more special than the others. I hope you’ll agree when you see it.”

Walter pulled a small box from his hoodie pocket and held it out to her; as she took it, she couldn’t help but think that it looked like a ring box. “Walter…”

“Open it, Daniels,” He said quietly. “And then I’ll explain.”

Still perplexed, she slowly opened the box; inside was a ring, rather simple in design and made of twining pieces of silver. Simple but beautiful – he knew she didn’t like flashy jewellery, knew _her_ so well. “Oh…Oh, Walter-”

“It’s not an engagement ring,” He informed her, somewhat regretfully. “As you’re aware, it is illegal for synthetic beings to marry – that’s a right reserved for humans, and so it would be pointless for me to even ask. But I did research, and I found that some humans prefer the usage of ‘promise’ rings – they’re a thing of the past on Earth, and now very uncommon.”

“You made me a promise ring?” Daniels asked, voice no louder than a whisper.

Walter nodded, and he looked vaguely anxious. “Yes. I cannot ask you to marry me, Danny, and I am sorry for that because I know usually humans prefer to be married before attempting to start families.” He paused, studying her to be sure she wasn’t upset by him bringing it up – she didn’t appear to be, so he continued. “I cannot ask you to marry me – but I can give you this ring and promise the same things that a human can during a wedding ceremony, even if it’s not legal. I am incapable of lying, so my promise would be truthful.”

“Promise?” She repeated quietly.

“I can promise you that I love you and always will,” He told her, and he took the hand that wasn’t holding the ring box. “I can promise that I’ll be loyal, that I don’t want anyone else, that I’ll be here for you no matter what, and I can promise that I’ll never leave you.” His fingers linked with hers, and he looked somewhat nervous. “I am aware that I cannot take the place of your husband, and I wouldn’t want to – but I do want to be with you for as long as is possible. You…You do not have to accept it, not if you don’t want to.”

For a moment, Daniels didn’t say anything – and then he noticed that tears were running down her cheeks, eyes glistening. “Walter…shit, you made me cry,” She muttered, giving a weak laugh.

“I didn’t intend to upset you or make you cry,” He said, concerned. “I apologize.”

“No, I’m not crying because I’m sad,” She chuckled wetly. “I’m crying because this…this is so beautiful, and you’ve made me happy; this is the best gift I’ve ever received.”

He watched as she took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger to sit beside her wedding ring; once this was done, she leaned forwards to pull him into an embrace that he returned without question. Her tears started to soak through his clothes, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind at all.

“If this  _was_  a proposal,” The synthetic muttered curiously. “Would that have been a ‘yes’?”

Daniels laughed again, properly this time, and pulled back to look at him. “Yes – yes, it would have been a ‘fuck yes’!” She took his face into his hands and pressed a small kiss to his mouth, still crying somewhat when they separated. “Thank you, Walter… I love you so much.”

Walter could only smile back, pleased that she seemed happier and that she had accepted his gift. “I love you too, Daniels. I hope that next Christmas, we get what we both want – that we won’t be celebrating alone…that we’ll have a baby by next year.”

It was almost too easy to imagine; the image was somewhat painful but promising, the idea of a small baby with them next year – a year seemed so far off, and yet also within reach. It didn’t need to be said that it was something they both wanted.

“I hope so too,” She agreed, burying her face into his shoulder and closing her eyes. “I want that more than anything.”

* * *

 

New Year’s was a slightly less sombre affair, mostly due to the fact that Tennessee joined them; it was tradition for them to welcome the new year together, though usually they went out to the colony to celebrate with everyone else. Truthfully, none of them felt like that this year – like facing anyone else just yet – and so Tennessee had immediately accepted when they invited him to the cabin for the night.

“You look great, darlin’,” He muttered to Daniels, giving her a large hug that she gratefully returned. “More like yourself, healthier…”

“You’re full of bullshit,” She huffed, but she managed a half-hearted grin. “Thanks, Tee. It’s good to see you.”

It was hardly an exciting evening – far from it – but none of them seemed to care; the topic of what had happened a month ago was completely ignored, as was any discussion of children of any kind. It didn’t escape Walter’s notice that neither Daniels nor Tennessee were drinking nearly as much as they usually did on New Year’s Eve; it was understandable, he decided, and a part of him was admittedly relieved because excessive alcohol consumption would almost-certainly prove detrimental to Daniels’ physical and mental health. To add, he knew that both of them were adequate at – as the humans often said – “holding their alcohol”, but it was admittedly a relief to not have to worry over their intoxication levels.

They quietly toasted as midnight came and went, and when they heard fireworks from the colony in the distance, they stepped outside to watch from the porch. Tennessee seemed to liven up slightly at the sight of them, chuckling and making comments to his friends; he finished his beer halfway through the display, and as he headed into the cabin to grab a new one, Daniels silently slipped her hand into Walter’s, squeezing their fingers together. When he looked at her, slightly confused, she just smiled half-heartedly.

“New Year,” She muttered, so quietly that their friend wouldn’t be able to hear it – Walter’s superior hearing picked it up easily. “We can put it all behind us, start new and all that. Start afresh.”

“Yes,” He agreed, still not sure what she really meant.

Her smile was bittersweet – but there was hope in her eyes, he realized, a glimmer of something. “I…I want us to try for that baby again,” Daniels admitted. “Not right away, obviously, I don’t think I feel…okay with that. But I do want to, so long as you’re okay with that.”

“Ah. I see.” Walter considered what she had said, though he knew the answer immediately. “I would like that too, Danny – but, as you say, not at this time. Perhaps in a few months, however, when you have had time to recover and you-” He paused, reconsidering his words. “ _We_ have processed and accepted our loss, then yes, I would like for us to attempt it once more.”

Her hand tightened around his own, and he could feel her warm body suddenly leaning into him. “Yeah,” She murmured; her smile seemed slightly more genuine now, if a little strained. “I got a good feeling about this year, Walter – that it’ll happen.”

While the future was unpredictable, and she certainly couldn’t have been able to tell at this moment what was to come, he understood the sentiment and held her close. “I believe you might be right, Danny,” He informed her quietly, just as Tennessee reappeared from inside the cabin once more. “At the very least…I am hoping that you’re right.”

There were no guarantees that things would take a turn for the better – that they would perhaps be parents within this new year – but Walter allowed himself to hope for it anyway. It went against his programming, wanting and wishing for things, but he couldn’t help it; he knew it was selfish to want it for his own happiness (which, he had decided, was not a priority), but the idea of himself and his lover as a family – with a child, _their_ child no matter what anyone else said on the matter – made something in him stir pleasantly.

To add, it would make Daniels immeasurably happy – and, to him, that was the most important thing of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Christmas section was actually something I posted in my Christmas on Origae-6 drabbles last December – hopefully it now makes a little more sense as to why they were so upset!
> 
> I know it’s a little short and sucky, but I’m heading off to Disneyland Paris from Sunday to Thursday, so I’ll be out of action, and I really just wanted to get something up before I left. 
> 
> Next chapter will probably include a short time skip, and it won’t be as angsty, I promise – things are about to get a lot fluffier and cuter for our favourite duo :3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while, and I’m so unbelievably sorry! But I’ve had so many fics on the go that it’s hard to keep up, especially if you have writers block and other bad things happening.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter – it’s a little less depressing now ;)

It took time, but slowly and surely, things started to return to the way they once were; the pain wasn’t completely gone nor forgotten – it never would be – but they learnt to live with it, to accept it and gradually move on.

Within the first couple of weeks of January, Daniels started to smile properly again. They had been working together in his greenhouse, finding that tending to the plants was rather therapeutic for them both, when he noticed it; her smile was involuntary, natural and not forced in the slightest, as she listened to him talk about the various flora he was growing. It made him smile too, and he was glad to see her feeling better.

By the last week of the month, she was eating regularly (helped in part due to his uncontested skill in the kitchen) and there was no awkwardness or hidden misery present when she curled up against him at night. Perhaps it was merely because he had regulated his body temperature to be warmer during the winter, but Walter preferred to think that it was because she actually wanted to be close to him again. Either way, he enjoyed it more than he cared to admit.

They were both back to work by February; rumours flew amongst the colonists as to why they had both been missing for so long, but they both decided to ignore it. It felt good to be getting back into a normal routine, to be doing things as they had before; Daniels especially enjoyed getting to spend time with Tennessee again, finding that she had missed seeing him.

Walter worked as efficiently as he always had, of course, but he found that it was something else that was proving difficult for him; the children of the colony had been thrilled to see him again, and they had flocked to him in groups for several days to spend time with him. He smiled and said the right things, as he usually did, but he couldn’t help the sudden and unwelcome rush of something akin to melancholy that arose in him as he interacted with them. A few times, he had seen Daniels watching the exchanges from nearby; there were no smiles then, only longing and miserable looks that he understood all too well.

It got easier with each day; soon he found that his smiles weren’t so forced when he spoke to a child, that it was slightly easier to spend time with them even if the ache never did truly go away. He noticed Daniels opening up more and more when children started coming to greet her too; a frequent visitor was the little girl named Bella, the one who had once stated she wanted to be a terraforming expert. His lover always seemed pleased to see the little girl, and he knew that she was genuinely pleased whenever any child came to say hello; Walter always watched, feeling a strange warmth growing in his chest at the sight.

He knew now more than ever that Daniels would be a wonderful mother someday.

Almost halfway into February, as they settled into bed together on a cold night, she kissed him; she hadn’t done it in so long, and it was surprising but pleasant for him. When she pulled away, he noticed that she was gnawing on her lower lip and giving him an almost _shy_ look – he had never seen it on her before, and it took him aback.

“I want to… Can we…? I mean, only if _you_ feel comfortable too, I don’t want you to feel pressured into it…”

After a few seconds of pondering, he realized what she was most likely talking about. “You want to resume sexual intercourse?”

Despite herself, Daniels laughed loudly. “I was gonna call it something a little more romantic than that, but sure.”

He deliberated for a brief moment before giving a nod. “Yes. I want to do that too.”

It was somewhat awkward and strange at first; Walter noticed that his lover didn’t appear to be nearly as comfortable with her body as she had once been, that her cheeks flushed when he removed her clothes and took her naked form in. He merely pressed kisses to her skin, marking a trail down her body and gently touching as he went along.

“I think you are beautiful,” He informed her, voice low and serious. “You’re beautiful, and I love you.”

Her eyes glistened with tears, but they didn’t seem to be the unhappy kind at all. “I love you too,” Daniels whispered, reaching for him in the dark. “So _fucking_ much.”

They had made love slowly and carefully that night, taking their time as they moved together; this wasn’t about achieving some kind of relief but rather relearning each other and how to be intimate again. Afterwards, as they lay sated and satisfied underneath the sheets together, Daniels pressed herself into his side and simply smiled; it was the kind of smile that seemed to be half of a giggle, a blissful show of affection as she looked at him. Walter could only return it, grinning so widely that he couldn’t stop his teeth from showing – a shark-toothed grin that unsettled so many people but _never_ her.

One night shortly after, whilst they were both sitting by the fire whilst curled up together, Daniels tentatively brought the subject up once more.

“I think…I think I’d be okay with us trying again now,” She said softly, and her fingers slowly intertwined with his own. “So…whenever _you_ want to…I’m ready.”

His usual protocol was to analyse and think, to spend time making important decisions – but this time he didn’t need to consider, didn’t need to process or judge. The answer came almost naturally.

“I’m ready for that too,” He informed her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Just as much as you are.”

She had beamed – a most beautiful expression that he found he enjoyed to see on her face – and pressed a kiss to his mouth before settling back against his side.

Even though it seemed silly and impossible, Walter found that he had what could only be described as a ‘good feeling’ about what was to come.

* * *

 

There were only a few tests to endure this time around, just to be sure that Daniels was physically healthy and healed after what had happened; there were more than a few conversations to discuss her emotional well-being too, to be sure that she was in the right mindset for such a thing. It became clear that the doctors were more than satisfied, however, as they allowed the treatments within just a week.

After the experience of their attempts before, Walter had decided that keeping Daniels as stress-free as possible was of the utmost importance; he knew that she was independent and more than capable of doing things by herself, but that still didn’t stop him from trying to help in whatever way he could. He made her healthy meals while they were in their cabin together, made sure that she stayed active – the lake had thawed now, and she had taken to swimming – and was always sure that she was feeling comfortable with everything that was happened. Indeed, she was smiling and more like herself with each day that passed, a fact which relieved him immensely.

The first month yielded no positive results in terms of pregnancy, but there was little use in dwelling on it; instead, Daniels had merely taken a deep breath and decided there was no need to depress herself over it. She _could_ get pregnant, there was no doubt about it, it was just about finding the right time again – it would happen, she just had to wait. Walter seemed to be thinking along the same lines, judging by how cheerful he remained; there was no tension or awkwardness between them, just the mutual understanding that it would come if they were patient enough.

The second attempt was done just as spring arrived on Origae-6, and they had walked home together afterwards whilst holding hands and taking in the new plants that blossomed. It was difficult to feel sad or anxious when there were so many beautiful flowers around, and they spent the rest of the day outdoors to admire how _alive_ everything looked. They spent the next week and a half appreciating the flourishing plants, doing as much as possible outside; the best day, Daniels found, was when Walter had prepared a small picnic for them to enjoy down by the lake.

On the day they were to return to the doctor to find out if it worked, neither of them were tense or particularly anxious; sure, they both wanted it to happen, but stressing over it wouldn’t help at all. Instead, as they made their way to the office, they discussed how Walter’s greenhouse was doing, the various plants that were growing under his gentle and capable care.

To be honest, Daniels knew it was more for Walter’s sake than her own – she knew that he was using the topic of plants to keep his mind from worrying (though he would always deny that he _worried_ , of course).

As the doctor set everything up, Walter felt Daniels slip her hand into his; when he looked at her, she merely smiled, somewhat nervously, and squeezed. Smiling back in what he hoped was a reassuring way, he squeezed her hand as tightly as he dared – no matter what the outcome was, they were going to deal with it together.

The machine hummed to life, and the doctor started the examination; Walter noticed Daniels conceal a small grimace at the feeling of cold gel spread over her skin, and he ran his thumb over her knuckles to reassure her that he was still there. He felt her pulse quicken as the doctor scanned, and he knew that if he’d had a human heart then his own pulse would have done the same thing; instead, one of the components inside of him was whirring at a faster speed than usual, his mind overrun with curiosity and – dare he say it – hope.

When the doctor smiled and turned the screen towards them so that they could see, he felt his lover squeeze his hand tighter than ever, her heartbeat racing for an entirely different and much more wonderful reason. He felt somewhat light-headed as he gazed at the monitor, at the living image that was so perfect and small – it was all so overwhelming.

Once the doctor had left to give them some time to themselves with the scan, Daniels started to cry – they were joyful tears, uncontrollable and inevitable.

“That’s ours,” She muttered, utterly speechless. “Look at it… _ours_.”

“I know,” Walter said quietly, and his voice sounded almost hoarse. “It is…perfection. Or, at least, as close to perfection as is possible to be.”

“You’re a sap,” She laughed tearfully, turning to face him now. “I’m so happy, Walter…it’s happening.”

It was as if the awful events of the previous year had never happened; there was only a radiant exuberance, complete elation as they experienced this together. Walter had to blink the moisture from his own eyes before answering, overcome with emotion that he hadn’t been aware he had possessed. “Yes, it’s happening; I’m…I’m happy too,” He agreed, and she didn’t miss the way his voice seemed to waver. “I love you, Danny, and I…I think I already love this baby, even if that seems implausible.”

“It’s not implausible,” She assured him, and he turned to gaze at her. “I love you too; I can’t wait for this, for…for us to be a family.”

 _Family_. The word sent a rather pleasant feeling through his circuits, and his grin was completely involuntary as he leaned over to press a kiss to her mouth. It wasn’t often that he initiated such contact – he usually worried that it would be unwanted, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable – but it seemed _right_ In this moment.

Both of them were far too happy and emotional to say anything else – instead, they watched the tiny image of _their_ baby on the screen together, the future impossibly bright and full of possibilities.

* * *

 

They had made their way back to their cabin afterwards, the day now turning to evening, both of them thrilled and unable to keep their hands off each other; Walter had no qualms whatsoever when she pulled him to their bedroom, pressing kisses to every inch of him that she could reach and tugging at his clothes. He could only return the favour, kissing her feverishly as he undressed her and laid her out on the bed before him.

He had always found Daniels attractive – she was the only human he had ever felt such a way about – but suddenly she seemed to be _beautiful_ to him; it was almost definitely the knowledge that she was pregnant, the fact that he knew she would grow and nurture _their_ child (a thrill ran through him at the thought). He couldn’t help himself from wanting to worship her, wanting to please her and satisfy her – she deserved nothing less.

Walter kept her eyes on her as pressed kisses to every inch of her skin, marking a trail down her body; she moaned softly, spurring him on further, and he could feel her warming up beneath him, her arching and growing desperate. He lingered for a few moments longer than necessary when he reached her abdomen, and when she looked at him, she realized that his expression was tender and loving: it was all she could do not to cry again.

Eventually, he reached that part of her that was always so warm and ready for him, her legs parting to allow himself to situate himself between her thighs. Without hesitating, he slowly inserted a finger inside of her, delighting in the way she groaned for him; her soft cries got louder with a second finger, and then at the feel of his thumb brushing against the small bundle of nerves that lived there. It took just a couple of minutes for her to fall apart before him, and he watched in fascinated awe as she came down from her high; she always looked so wonderful when she climaxed, her skin flushing and every part of her arching for him. He sucked at the skin on her hip bones as she relaxed, waiting for her to recover completely before continuing; once he was sure that she was ready again, he smiled and slowly lowered his mouth to her slit.

Immediately she moaned loudly, her entire body awash with pleasure. “Jesus _fuck_ , Walter… _yes_ …”

It didn’t take long before Daniels was panting and shining with sweat as she bucked her hips up against Walter’s mouth, hands reaching to tug at his hair.

“Walter…yes,  _fuck_!”

Keeping his eyes on her, the synthetic ran his tongue up her slit and to the small nub he had located on several previous occasions – her clit, his data informed him just as he sucked hard.

She came hard against his lips almost immediately, tossing her head back and crying out his name loudly; he continued to lap at her wet heat as she slowly came down, filing her response away for future reference. She looked enticing like this, he decided, bare and as close to perfection as it was possible for a human to be.

As her breathing started to slow, he carefully moved away from her heat to hover over her; he could feel her smile against his cheek as he pressed small kisses to her neck, her hands coming to rest on his back.

“Danny…”

“C’mon,” Daniels urged eagerly, and he realized that she was still wet. “Now, I’m ready now.”

Walter gave a nod, reaching one hand down to grip himself in hand, hard despite not having been touched; even with her bucking against him and begging, he was slow and precise as he sank into her – he didn’t want to hurt her, even if they had done this many times before.

Immediately she groaned, her nails digging into synthetic skin as her hips bucked. “ _Fuck_ , I’m not gonna last.”

He tilted his head, only somewhat surprised by this, and started to move over her; the sensors on his body could detect that she was tight and wet, a perfect heat for him, and it made his own groin tighten in anticipation.

It didn’t take long for her to finish at all once he picked up the pace, and she whimpered as her orgasm came over her quite suddenly; she called his name as she arched into him, her entire body tightening and spasming beneath him. He was sure to continue kissing her throughout it, whispering words of adoration for her to help and settle her.

It was only when Daniels looked up at him, biting her lip, that he realized what else she wanted.

“Come on, Walter,” She sighed blissfully, dragging her nails over his back. “You need to finish too.”

“I don’t need-”

“I want you to,” She requested firmly, reaching up to cup his face. “Please?”

Walter was never one to deny her anything; he started to thrust again, this time a little harder, as his hands tightened on the sheets of the bed. It was with a low moan of satisfaction that he came, releasing fluid into her to make the experience seem more genuine before lowering himself over her.

“Three orgasms isn’t bad,” Daniels reflected, quite satisfied.

He hummed in thought. “We’ve achieved more beforehand – however, I think that from now on we should take extra care not to over-exert you, Danny.” Slowly, his hand came to cup her still-flat abdomen.

She grinned fondly. “I don’t think having sex is gonna hurt the baby, Walter.”

“No, it probably won’t,” He acknowledged. “But multiple orgasms could over-exert you, and in such case then that might possess a slight risk to the unborn baby’s health in the later months of your pregnancy.”

Daniels shook her head, still smiling as she combed her fingers through his hair. “I love you, you know that?”

“You’ve told me before,” Walter stated – but she could see a small smile pulling at his features. “I know. I love you too, Danny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, nothing like a time jump, fluff and smut to fill a chapter, ‘eh? ;) Next chapter will probably be more of the same – and those of you who have ever seen a particular part of “The Light Between Oceans” will be in for a REAL treat. :D
> 
> The last half of that sex scene was actually a prompted drabble I wrote for something else – I just thought I’d add it in here :3 
> 
> Reviews are heaven!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the beginning of this chapter was 100% inspired by a certain scene in “The Light Between Oceans” (a film that Fassy was in) :) Enjoy!

    

When Daniels woke up, she was briefly aware of lips pressing kisses to her forehead, strong but gentle hands drifting over her bare body. She smiled widely, tilting her head and opening her eyes to look at her lover.

“Good morning to you too,” She murmured, rather content.

Walter grinned, somewhat shyly, and pressed the palm of his hand flat on her back. “How are you feeling? Do you feel nauseous at all?”

“No, I’m fine. I feel… _wonderful_ ,” She exhaled blissfully. “I’m so happy, Walter... I think it’s the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“I feel the same,” He informed her, and his voice was soft. “This is…more than I thought I would ever be able to have in my existence. And – though this seems implausible – I believe I feel more love for you than I have before.” He paused. “I’m aware that sounds-”

“Cheesey?” She chuckled, and he nodded. “Yeah, maybe a little – but I think that kinda makes sense.”

For a few minutes, they simply lay there together as the morning light streamed through the window, enjoying this closeness and intimacy with the knowledge of what was to come, of all the future possibilities. Walter’s touch remained gentle as his fingers traced a path over her skin, from her back to her hip, and then to the flat surface of her stomach. Her smile became even brighter when she felt this, and she linked her fingers with his.

“I love you,” Daniels said quietly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Danny,” He stated sincerely.

He wasn’t surprised when she pressed a kiss to his mouth, her hand moving to cup his face and draw him in closer; he could only shut his eyes and enjoy it, enjoy the feel of _her_. Her body seemed to come to life as he ran his hand over her side, lingering over the soft skin of her hip as she explored his body in return. Once, he had thought that the uncontrollable reaction to her touches – to be more specific, the stiffening of a certain body part – to be a sign of a malfunction, something to be worried about: now he allowed himself to appreciate the effect she had on him, how pleasant it was to be with her like _this_.

Gasping out a small laugh against his mouth, she wriggled before sitting up and straddling him; Walter found himself gazing up at her, fingers still skimming over the bones of her hips, the toned muscles of her thighs – and he was suddenly struck by the sight of her. Her dark hair was ruffled and untidy from sleep (and perhaps their activities overnight too), eyes bright and full of excitement; her skin seemed to glow in the early morning light that streamed through the window, though he also mused that he could have been seeing her this way merely because he knew of the life she was carrying. Without thinking, he found himself pressing his hand to the flat expanse of her lower stomach, eyes wide as they gazed at her navel.

It seemed almost impossible, and yet…here they were. They both knew that there was something there, something small and precious and growing, even if it wasn’t visible yet – it was still there. Wordlessly, she laid a hand over his, watching his face carefully.

To her surprise, Walter suddenly raised himself slightly, closing his eyes and pressing his mouth to her abdomen; Daniels could only watch him, awed by the sight as she cupped his face, running her fingers through his hair and holding him close. The kisses he pressed to her belly were soft and tender, even more so than he’d ever been before; his hands, gripping her hips, were gentle. He didn’t need to say the words – she knew what his actions meant.

“I’m not even showing yet,” She said quietly.

Walter didn’t pull away, lips still tracing her abdomen – where he knew _their_ child was growing. “I know, but they are still here…they are _alive_. I already love them so much.”

“Yeah?” Daniels whispered, taking his face in her hands and leaning down to kiss him.

He just smiled, moving to reciprocate. “Yes. I love them almost as much as I love you.”

* * *

 

“You look happy.”

Daniels laughed quietly. “Oh yeah?”

“You both do,” Tennessee insisted, looking between her and Walter. “And you invited me over here for a beer, so I’m wondering what the special occasion is.”

“Maybe we just felt like inviting you over,” She teased, and he noticed that she was sliding an arm around the synthetic’s waist. “Just ‘cause we wanted to see you.”

“Nah, I’m calling bullshit,” He scoffed, shaking his head at them. “Something’s up with you two, I know it. You gonna tell me or do I have to spend all night guessing?”

His friends looked at each other, and he realized they were smiling – it was a soft kind of smile, a tender one that was borne of them knowing something no one else did. When Daniels looked back at him, she was grinning widely.

“We _did_ want to tell you something,” She admitted as he went to take a swig; Walter shifted closer to her, suddenly looking rather _proud_ – an expression he never seemed to wear. “Tee…we’re having a baby.”

Tennessee choked on his beer, hurriedly reaching to put it down. “Holy _shit_!” He coughed. “ _You two_? Having a baby? Right now?”

“Not right this second,” Walter informed him seriously. “Gestation will take between eight and nine months, if all goes as it is supposed to. But, yes, Danny is pregnant.” He seemed to straighten up as he said this, his smile growing bigger.

“Well, fuck me,” Tennessee chuckled, moving to wrap his friends in a bear hug. “Congrats to you both! Yeah, get here, Walter, you’re getting a hug too!”

The synthetic was somewhat bemused by this, but he accepted the burly man’s embrace with no qualms. Daniels was laughing quietly, clearly thrilled. “I know this is kinda dumb to ask…we’ve had this talk before…but would you still be okay with being ‘Uncle Tee’?”

“You’re right, that is a dumb question,” He joked. “Nah, of course I still wanna be an uncle…you know I’m here for you guys, no matter what.”

“We knew we could count on you, Tee,” She said fondly.

It was only once she had left the room to get more drinks that Walter approached him one-on-one, looking somewhat anxious. “Tennessee,” He began seriously. “Daniels and I have decided that we do not want people knowing just yet…given what happened before.” He paused, trying to remove the memory from the forefront of his mind. “We would prefer it if no one else was aware until we can be sure that the baby is healthy and the pregnancy is progressing as it should.”

“Don’t worry, man,” Tennessee assured him, clapping a large hand to his shoulder. “I ain’t gonna tell a soul – that’s for you and Danny to decide, not me. I’m honoured you guys trust me to know before anyone else though.”

“You are Daniels’ best friend,” The synthetic stated. “And, if you do not mind me saying so, I consider you to be a friend to myself as well. I hope that is not too forward of me to assume-”

“I’m your friend too, Walter,” He interrupted firmly. “I mean, I don’t always get what’s going on in that computer brain of yours, but you’re a good guy. And, you know…” His voice grew slightly softer. “You make Danny happy – given all the shit that went down…well, that’s enough in my book.”

Walter was touched by his words, blinking as he processed this new information. “Thank you, Tennessee – I am glad to be you _friend_.”

As Daniels returned, laughing and bantering once more with the burly man, he couldn’t help but muse that his life really was better than he had ever anticipated it being: a friend, a lover and the knowledge that in several months they’d be a family. It was perhaps more than he deserved, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind – all he could do was feel content and enjoy it all.

* * *

 

It took just under a week for the symptoms to start, the final sign that this was all real and not just some dream (or a possibility that Walter had allowed himself to get far too invested in, rather).

“Morning sickness,” Daniels muttered, leaning over the toilet and retching. Her lover was behind her, holding her shoulders and waiting for her to finish. “ _Of course_ I end up getting it-”

She was cut off by a sudden wave of nausea and the need to gag; Walter merely brushed the hair from her forehead and hummed quietly, hoping it would calm her somewhat.

“Fuck,” She huffed weakly as she sat back, resting her weight on him. “I fucking hate morning sickness.”

“I believe it’s a good sign,” The synthetic mused. “It means that your hormones are adapting and preparing you for pregnancy and motherhood – hopefully it’s a sign that your body has accepted the embryo and will nurture it.”

“I know that,” She said grudgingly. “And that _is_ good…but it doesn’t mean I like vomiting every day.”

Walter helped her up from the floor, flushing the toilet before gently urging her back to the bedroom. “It is only temporary, Danny; it won’t last the entire pregnancy, only the first trimester.”

“It better not,” She grumbled – but he saw the small smile on her face as she dressed and got ready for the day, saw the way she glanced down at her still-flat stomach with a mixture of fondness and curiosity.

Cravings soon started to appear, and this was a slightly less unpleasant symptom; they started relatively normal, with things such as a piece of chocolate or an exotic fruit from the greenhouses. Some of the things she wanted, however, were slightly less conventional.

“Jesus Christ, Danny,” Tennessee muttered during one lunch break soon after, eying her food in disgust. “Who the fuck puts olives and wasabi in a sandwich with chicken? That’s nasty as shit.”

Daniels shrugged, grinning at him as she swallowed her mouthful of food. “It’s delicious – don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.”

“The baby’s totally fucked your taste-buds up,” He mused, sitting back in his seat. “I just can’t believe Walter’s letting you eat that shit – even he’s gotta know that that’s awful.”

“He looked a little surprised,” She admitted, rather amused. “But he’s kinda just letting me eat what I want – if I want it, I get it.”

“Guy’s pussy-whipped,” Her friend deadpanned good-naturedly; he was still chortling as he dodged the grape she proceeded to throw at his head, much to her dismay.

* * *

 

As the weeks started to go by, there were other changes that Walter started to notice; for one, his lover was extremely exhausted after a day’s work, staying awake long enough for a meal and a shower before collapsing into bed. He had read that this was normal within the first twelve weeks, and that it was due to hormones – still, he made a note to himself to keep an eye on her energy levels, just to be safe.

Having said that, when she wasn’t tired, she was initiating sex more and more; he didn’t mind it, of course – in fact, he was rather pleased by this particular development. On one side of things, it allowed him to map her body, to examine and observe it as it came to change in the future; on the other, he found that he just enjoyed being intimate with her, finding that it was satisfying for both of them.

One evening, as his hands roamed her body, however, she gave a small wince of discomfort; immediately he withdrew his hands, watching her face worriedly.

“Danny? Have I hurt you? Is something wrong with the baby-?”

“No, it’s just…” Daniels hesitated, carefully placing her own hands on her chest; she winced again. “My tits are _sore_.”

“Your breasts are…ah.”

“This sounds stupid, but I think they’re bigger too,” She mused, only somewhat uncertain. “I know they were never very big to begin with, but they kinda feel more swollen – just like before I start a period or whatever.”

Walter nodded understandingly. “Several pregnancy books have mentioned sore breasts as being a symptom, so there is nothing to be particularly concerned about. And, just so we are clear on the matter, I think that your breasts are perfectly acceptable the way they are.”

“Of course,” She laughed quietly, trying not to roll her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck again. “Anyway…we were in the middle of something, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, I do not mind,” He said seriously, leaning forward to kiss her.

As it turned out, having sensitive breasts wasn’t a complete hinderance – in fact, it made the whole experience all the more pleasurable.

* * *

 

Despite the fact that everything seemed to be going well, there was still some nervousness at the next check-up appointment; Daniels had taken Walter’s hand as the equipment was set up, gnawing on her lip and trying to calm her breathing. He had merely squeezed back, trying to contain the sudden flood of strange emotion running through his systems.

“Alright,” The doctor said brightly, pointing to the screen.  “That’s your baby – you’re about twelve weeks along, and everything seems to be going as it should.”

“It is?” Walter asked seriously, though he was relieved.

The young man nodded. “Indeed. It’s already starting to look more like a human instead of a blob, as you can see… There’s the head, that part there…and the arms and legs are just here… So far, so good. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?”

Daniels was already nodding eagerly, and the synthetic noticed the glaze in her eyes. He smiled to himself, focusing his eyes on the monitor and memorising it; he knew that it was common practice to be given a physical picture, but he was determined to document all of the stages to his own memory – it was far more efficient than a photograph, after all.

For a few moments, there was silent as the doctor toggled with a few switches – and then a loud beat filled the room, a quick but steady rhythm.

“Perfect,” Walter managed softly.

“You’re right, it is,” The doctor agreed with a large smile. “Baby’s got a nice strong heartbeat, which is good, and it’s growing at the expected rate; you’re quite right, it really is perfect.”

Daniels was beaming at the image on the screen in front of them, eyes wide and bright. “They’re so beautiful… Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”

“Not quite yet, I’m afraid,” He chuckled good-naturedly. “Their sexual organs _are_ developing, of course, but they’re not developed enough to see what sex the baby is just yet. We’ll have another look during your next scan – I take it neither of you have a preference either way?”

“No preference,” Walter said, unable to formulate a proper response for once.

“Either is wonderful,” Daniels echoed sincerely, rather speechless herself.

Before they left, Walter was certain to save the memory of this trip to his core hard-drive, determined not to lose or forget it: not just the image of their baby and their heartbeat, but also the way his lover’s face had lit up, the way she had held his hand and been in awe.  It was too monumental to just let go of – this was something precious, something important.

When he told Daniels that he’d done this later that evening, she laughed tearfully and embraced him; he wasn’t quite sure why this made her so happy, but he was glad it had anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t you just love the angst?  
> Not to worry, this story will have a healthy mix of fluff and angst – we’ll see more of Daniels and Walter together, and more of Walter interacting with the other members of the colony (including Tennessee and some not-so-nice people). Hopefully I can work and finish this fic for you all, but it’s also mostly a passion project because I love this pairing and want to create my own fix-it for the film (the ending didn’t happen, nope, not at all).  
> Please don’t forget to comment/review if you enjoyed – it spurs me on more to write!
> 
> Like what I post? Why don't you check out [my Ko-fi page](https://www.ko-fi.com/meganwalsh)?


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